Biowar
by Colani
Summary: She thought the war was over. An unidentified illness suddenly invades the village, threatening to take the lives of everyone she loves. Battling to find a cure, the fate of the village now settles in her hands. "This isn't your war anymore, Sasuke." She murmured softly, turning away from the skeptical and fuming Uchiha towards the hospital. "It's mine." Saku/Sasu
1. Chapter 1

**Chapter 1**

**The Beginning**

...

Thump thump...

Thump thump...thump thump...

* * *

><p><em>She thought the war was over...<em>

_Everything was at peace:_

_Sasuke was home, safe and sound. _

_Naruto was alive and well._

_The village was safe, nobody in danger._

_We did not have to fight, we did not have to fear..._

_We did not have to say goodbye's..._

_Or so she thought._

* * *

><p><em>...<em>

_Then one day leaves rustled in the breeze_  
><em>Sensing that a storm was about to brew.<em>  
><em>Though filled with disappointment and anxiety<em>  
><em>I faced the reality of the storm anew.<em>

_Dark clouds appeared on the horizon_  
><em>That moved across the sky so blue, <em>  
><em>Obstructing the rays of the golden sun<em>  
><em>On all of the succulent highlands too.<em>

_The trees swayed in the intense wind_  
><em>Against a dismal and weeping sky.<em>  
><em>Lightning cracked and thunders rumbled<em>  
><em>As the ferocious storm went ravaging by -<em>  
><em>Ending the serenity of this summer day.<em>

_Joseph T. Renaldi _

* * *

><p>The two men appeared out of nowhere, only a few feet apart from the thick, wooden double doors that lay shut before them.<p>

For a second, they both stood perfectly still, their eyes regarding the other with equal caution. Turning away, they stepped towards the locked opening, and gripped the cool metal handlebar in between their cool fingers. In a flash, the door swung open and the pair wordlessly crossed the threshold and into the cool embrace of the ancient building.

The men's long cloaks flapped about their ankles as they briskly made their way towards the second set of double doors. Neither hesitated as they pushed open the heavy barricade, both silently noting the chilling change in atmosphere.

"I assume you caught one?" asked the taller of the two.

"But of course." sneered the other, his eyes sliding to the moving bundle in his left hand. They kept their hurried pace as they silently rounded a corner, again noting the growing darkness pressing in. "And it is only too live and well." Atsuo continued, a knowing smile tugging at his thin lips.

Masao nodded. Atsuo cast a brief glance towards his partner. Knowingly, Masao raised his hand above his hand, allowing the sleeve of his cloak to droop past his elbow. There, across his forearm, sat the clear glass tube, strapped securely against his pale translucent skin. The research has taken a toll on him, it seems.

"You look like death." Atsuo commented.

Slowing their pace, Masao felt his lips tug into a sincere smile, his eyes glinting in the shadow of the corridor. Making a left, the couple stopped at the third set of engraved double doors. Atsuo paused, perspiration sliding along the sides of his head. Masao pushed open the doors, and immediately light flushed into the blackness behind the lone couple.

"Idiot," Masao replied bitingly. "I am death."

Inside, the pair stepped forth towards the seated figure before them.

His face reflected the glare of the sun in its moist folds, making the skin look waxy. His eyes, opening at the sound of hushed footsteps, now glinted in expectancy as he watched the medic nins drop onto their knees at the grace of a shinobi. Draped in the elegance of silk and satin, the figure stood to acknowledge the two men before him, casting a small glance towards the wriggling bundle on the smaller man's left. Addressing them, the elder man said, "Welcome."

Watching the two stand up, the elder man looked expectantly at the pair. "Well?" he asked in slight annoyance. Masao stepped forward, pulling out the clear vile, holding it in front of the Minister with pale, delicate fingers. "It is completed." he said.

The Minister's face lit up. Taking it carefully in his hands, he held the glass vile up towards the lone slit in the ceiling, allowing the pale sunlight to gleam mercilessly on the capped container. He watched as the liquid gleamed, smiling. It looked just like water. Opening the cap, he wafted his hand over the top of the vile, inhaling. His eyebrows arched in pleasure; no scent as well. How perfect. Turning back, the Minister handed the vile back to Masao.

"Tell me, Masao, Atsuo- How well does it work?"

At the mention of the effectiveness of the solution, Atsuo bit the end string of the bag, withdrawing a rather large black Raven. The minister drew his eyebrows in at the creature, his form seeming to sink further into the shadow, his face contorted in irritation. Surely they didn't really have the nerve to show him the potency on such an _insignificant _creature.

"No." the Minister whispered, eyeing the pair carefully. "I want to see the results on a _shinobi._" Snapping his fingers, the pair of medic nins watched as two guards left the Minister's throne to disappear behind a back door. There was screaming, the scuffling of footsteps, and then nothing.

Atsuo glared, releasing his hand on the raven. Everyone watched as the black bird flapped his wings angrily, squawking, before finally taking flight into the air. Circling, the bird suddenly landed atop the knob on the minister's throne. Atsuo narrowed his eyes. Dumb bird.

Masao watched with calculated eyes as the guards returned with what appeared to be a young man. The guards dragged the shinobi out from under the shadows, arranging him in the brightest ray of light in front of the throne so as the audience may have a better view of what was to come. The minister sat himself down, eyes gleaming with unmistakable grim amusement as the nin tried in vain to jerk away from the two guards grip.

In the light, Masao noted the color of blonde atop the mans head, the silvery strands seeming to become one with the dim rays. But even more so than that: There, strapped across his forehead, sat the headband of the Rain.

Masao felt his lips tug in mild astonishment. At the signal of the minister, the guards grabbed the top of the blonde's downy hair, pushing him hard on his knees. The shinobi let out a sharp groan, but refused to cry out. His green eyes remained fixed on the narrow sun-slit before him, blood slowly dripping off the edge of his chin to rest on the floor. Suddenly he jerked, but the guards held fast. Beside him, Masao heard the Minister's sharp chuckle fill the enclosed area around him.

Nobody missed the sudden drop in temperature.

Tilting the vile down, Masao inserted the thin needle of a syringe into the clear liquid, drawing out the fatal virus into the back of the thin tupe. The nameless shinobi now had his eyes glued to the dripping needle in his hand. Masao turned toward the rain nin, now beginning to slowly make his way towards his fellow shinobi.

Oh, the irony.

The blonde, now realizing what fate lied ahead for him, yelled with a fury through the cloth over his mouth, jerking and thrashing in all directions. The grip on his head slackened, but was soon returned with a vengeance

The youth moaned aloud as a thick arm wrapped around his neck, pulling his upper body further, and further back with pinching force. It felt to him as though his skin would split in two at any second. Masao looked down at the bare, pale skin of the man's flesh, smirking. Locking eyes, he gazed into the glassy reflection of the blonde's brilliant green orbs; tears, he reasoned, that were being held back. Keeping his face blank, Masao said, "You are going to die today." Another jerk; another cry.

Without further hesitation, Masao jammed the full needle into the man's flesh. A large cry erupted from the shinobi's mouth. The Minister suddenly stood, his eyes alight with excitement. All watched as the blonde's green orbs suddenly dialated. Minutes passed by, and the gurads went back to their posts, allowing the man to roll on the floor.

Clothed in a cold sweat, the blonde tried to hoist himself up. Masao frowned in disgust. "The more you fight, the faster you die." Masao commented, his face as blank as ever.

Suddenly, the youth was on his knees, reeling over as a pool of blood erupted from his mouth. Another small shake took over, and the man's eyes dimmed as he left this world into what Masao believed to be another. The minister watched with baited breath as the youth collapsed on his side, twitched once, and then went still. Seconds later, the guards were back by his side, hoisting him up as they dragged his body back into the buildings depth.

The Minister smiled, pleased. "How will it spread?"

"What, exactly, did you have in mind?" Masao asked. The Minister scratched his chin thoughtfully. "I believe," the Minister began, a small, slow smile pulling at the edges of his lips, "that we have much to discuss. Come. We will discuss the matter over dinner.

Without another word, the pair slowly began to follow the Minister and his guards as they made their way to the back, making sure to keep clear of the fat trail of crimson liquid running along side them.

The bird, having stood quietly in the background, now hopped from foot to foot in displeasure. Taking flight, the raven landed on the ministers shoulder, settling down in contentment. Atsuo blinked. "It appears the bird is grateful towards his savior."

Masao grunted, giving a slight shake of his head.

The irony indeed.

* * *

><p>Sasuke sat perched on the limb of one of the many trees over looking Konaha, wearing his usual white, thin shirt with his dark blue trousers. Below him, children ran laughing while holding up little sparklers in their tiny hands, lighting up the fast approaching darkness. Its been nine months since he returned to Konaha; and still Konaha looked as different as ever.<p>

Everything felt calmer; more stable. A burning feeling began to unfurl in Sasuke's gut at the thought, though he didn't know why. Peace was something he never really knew; never really experienced. In a way, it felt only too good to be true.

Putting the thought behind him, Sasuke closed his eyes in contentment at finally having the luxury to sit alone without having eyes tailing after him. For six months, Tsunade forced Sasuke to endure the ever annoying and ill comforting feeling of being watched by analytic eyes. No place was sacred; not even the bathroom.

A strong scowl pulled at his mouth at the memory. But that was behind him now. And in any case, he had no right to complain.

Anything was better than death. Truthfully, Sasuke didn't know what to expect when he got back. The furious wrath of Tsunade was a given, as well as his two year sentence- six months being watched, six months on being on house arrest, then an added six months on being permitted on low ranked missions, followed by the release of his house arrest, and then finally, he would be permitted to join Naruto and Sakura on their missions.

Then there was the hostility he received upon the village's realization that he, the notorious Uchiha, would soon fall back into Konaha's ranks; another given, as well as the vast amount of tension among the other shinobi's.

What he did not expect, however, was the awkwardness of being around Team 7. He thought he would feel indifferent, which for the most part he did, aside from Naruto always pestering him and Sakura always wearing her fake, plastered smile.

Thinking about Team 7 brought memories of Sai, to which a bitter taste began to leak into Sasuke's mouth. To say he didn't like him would be an understatement.

Another unexpected realization that soon dawned on him upon re-entering Konaha was the bitter feeling of home-sickness.

He hadn't realized how much he actually missed his home. But that feeling quickly passed over, as expected. From then on, Sasuke remained stationary in his apartment, not feeling right about moving back into his child-hood home. He only ever left to grab the basic necessities of food and other similar items.

But even more unexpected than that- Sakura. She surprised him the most, though he would never admit it. Half expecting her to cling to him every where he went, Sasuke can't say he acted kindly towards her in the beginning. But it wasn't long before he began to pick up on the indifference she carried around with him. Sakura wasn't cold towards him- but there was something different about her nonetheless.

Perhaps it was the fact that she didn't treat him any different than she would with Naruto or Shikamaru, or maybe it was the realization that Sakura grew up; it was quite apparent that she had a position to fill at the hospital, and unlike the genin days, she was more than capable of taking care of herself.

In any case, Sasuke felt himself watching her more and more- waiting for her to suddenly drop the i-don't-like-you-like-that act, but she never did. Maybe never would.

Sasuke's mood suddenly darkened, his eyebrows twitching in irritation. No. Konaha was very different than what he remembered it to be.

But somethings would always stay the same. Like Kakashi and his obsession over those perverted books of his.

"Hey teme!" called a faded voice,"Get down here!"

Like Naruto's horrible timing, which for Sasuke, happened more often than not. Glancing down, Sasuke watched as Naruto skidded beneath the shadow of the tree, Sakura trailing behind him. They were both dressed in their casual attire: Naruto in his khakis, wearing one of his favorite orange T-shirts, and Sakura, in her navy skirt with the khaki colored sleeves and red fitting top.

With a roll of his eyes, Sasuke looked back at the people crowding around the bare, grassy hill tops. He had forgotten about the celebration of the village's many victories that year.

Naruto growled at him. "Baka, get your ass down here, we're going to miss the show!"

Sasuke scowled. Spend the rest of the evening watching fireworks pop in the sky like a little kid...

...

He'd rather pass.

But on the other hand, he had nothing better to do than people watch, to which he had spent most of the day doing, thanks to his house arrest. A change in scenery wouldn't be unpleasant. Besides, Naruto would only throw a hissy fit, which would inadvertently cause a scene in front of the entire village.

Sasuke could not permit that.

With an irritated twitch to the brows, Sasuke gracefully slid down from the tree, stuffing his hands in his pockets. Naruto grumbled something about him always showing off, but Sasuke paid him no heed.

Turning his head at the pinkette, Sasuke watched as Sakura suddenly grabbed the back of Naruto's jacket, pulling him back. "Shut it, Naruto. I've had just about enough of your complaining."

Naruto's face twitched, but wisely held his tongue, mumbling, "Alright, alright."

Sakura let go, beginning to say something, but was unceremoniously cut off by a great _'POP' _in the sky. Sakura jumped at the sound, clearly not expecting it, while the others glanced up just in time to watch the colorful red sparks fizzle out of existence into the darkened sky.

Naruto suddenly let out a large groan, hopping impatiently from foot to foot while his hand continued to point at the sky. "Damn, damn, _damn!" _

What happened next came in an unexpected blur. Naruto glanced between Sasuke and Sakura, reluctantly pulling his hand down as if without him continuing to point upwards, the others would forget that they were missing one of the most celebrated festivities in all of Konaha. Then, without further notice, Naruto turned on his heel, leaving a trail of dust in his wake as he sped towards the grassy hills.

Turning back, Naruto said, "Sorry guys, I'm supposed to be sitting with Hinata- i'll see you later!"

"Naruto!" Sakura yelled, but was once again cut off by another large _'Pop,' _followed by the cheers and whistles of the civilians next door.

Sasuke blinked, his face the perfect picture of 'What-the-hell.'

Sakura moaned, clearly annoyed by the unexpected departure of their blonde 'knuckle-head of a shinobi' team member. Turning around, Sakura began to say something when it finally dawned on her that Sasuke was no where to be seen. Twisting her head, she caught sight of the back of the spiked Uchiha's head walking in the opposite direction, hands stuffed in his pockets. She watched him, wanting to run after him, but feeling held back by some invisible force field.

What was Naruto thinking? Ditching her like this, with Sasuke, nonetheless, who still regarded her with little acknowledgement. Sakura turned her head upwards, watching as two more fireworks lit up the sky. Just great. Shaking her head, Sakura began to jog after Sasuke, pushing her irritation aside.

As much as she wanted to walk in the other direction, she knew that Sasuke would only go home and brood in his apartment, to which Kakashi and Tsunade alike had said it was starting to be a habit for him. And so what if it was?

She let the thought slide away as she passed one of the entrances to a neighborhood. Something had suddenly caught her attention. Turning her head sideways, she stared into the flickering light of one of the many houses in Konaha. She stood still for several seconds, allowing her eyes to scan over the deserted area. She could have sworn she head muffled voices...

Another _'Pop' _brought here attention away from her thoughts. Remembering Sasuke, Sakura turned her head just in time to see him jumping over one of the wooden fences- a shortcut to the hills, she knew. With one last look at the deserted neighborhood, Sakura leapt after him, slightly confused at his change in route.

Landing with a soft thud, Sakura turned her attention to the mass of people before her. Scanning her eyes, Sakura once again found the back of Sasuke's head, seated in the most isolated area there was.

Sakura blinked at him in astonishment.

"Hey! Who are you looking at?"

Sakura jumped at the unexpected voice, whirling around to face an amused Ino. Shikamaru strolled up next to her, sighing. "Ino," he began in a warning tone, allowing the rest of his sentence to be conveyed through his eyes. Ino blinked innocently at her boyfriend. "What? I was only asking a question!"

Shikamaru sighed, mumbling "troublesome" under his breath. Ino beamed. Sakura turned her attention to the Nara genius as he said, "Sorry Sakura, but apparently there's a medical emergency over at the hospital. They need your assistance."

Sakura suppressed a groan, disappointment now beginning to pool inside the pit of her stomach. What a wonderful night this was turning out to be.

"Oh don't worry Sakura!" Ino started, waving a hand dismissively. "You'll be in and out in no time. They've probably already got a handle on the situation."

"Yea, maybe." Sakura replied. Turning back towards the fence, Sakura called back, "Ill see you guys later."

With that, Sakura quickly made her way towards the hospital, using the rooftops to her advantage as she pumped chakra into her legs.

Whatever the medical emergency, it had better be good.

* * *

><p>Continue?<p>

Reply and tell me if it sounds like a worthy story to write,

The plot is figured out, I have some very cute SakuSasu moments in mind, and the next chapter is on its way (:

-Colani


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

**Unexpected**

...

_Thump thump..._

_...thump...thu...mp.._

* * *

><p><em>If there is one thing someone can be certain of<em>

_it is that you can always expect the unexpected._

_-Cedar Hill_

_XxXxXxX_

**So tired**

**This fatigue**

**Is wearing me down**

**The sleepless nights**

**And endless thoughts**

**The guilt,**

**The pressure,**

**The want and need**

**It all adds up**

**Until my head**

**Can't take anymore**

**An overload that is**

**Too overwhelming**

**Dizzy with thought**

**And so confused**

**Vomit is rising**

**Barely able to hold it back**

**Everything is fading**

**First gray, then to black**

**Ground rushes toward me**

**As I hear the faint echoes**

**Of a heavy smack**

* * *

><p><em>"Are we all in agreement?"<em>

_..._

_"Good. We shall release the virus. Tonight."_

...thumpthumpthumpthump...

* * *

><p>Sasuke watched Sakura hop back over the fence, noting the sudden change in her demeanor. He knew that look on her face quite well. The slight crease of her brow, a tilt on her lips: Her face simply screamed "worry."<p>

But he remained where he was, his elbows resting casually atop the caps of his knees. After spending so many months with his team, he knew when a real crisis was on the horizon- at least the medical crisis's that seemed to unfurl every now and then.

A cool wind brushed past him, and Sasuke turned his head to stare at a group of older kids, scurrying off behind the wooden fences with a bundle in their hands. Multiple ones to be exact. One of the younger ones, having felt Sasuke's cold gaze, shifted his eyes to that of the piercing Uchiha's.

Immediately, Sasuke knew they were up to no good. The kid froze, his eyes widening into two, wide set saucers, before being pulled back by one of the older youths. For a second, Sasuke considered following them.

As soon as the thought surfaced, however, it was quickly buried under his wishes to remain stationary. Whatever it was they were doing- it didn't concern him; it didn't harm him. And as far as he knew, it wasn't harming anyone else. Not that it mattered.

All in all, there was no point for him to intervene. Despite this, however, Sasuke couldn't help but allow his eyes to follow in the direction they sprinted after. As soon as he saw the lead kid make a left, he knew they were going in the direction of the hospital.

Sasuke's eyes narrowed further. Shifting his sharp gaze over the shrill crowd (their voices rising with each burst of light in the sky), it appeared to him that nobody else had noticed the strange disappearance of the gang of kids. Looking at his right, it was apparent that not even Naruto's group of friends noticed, seeing how Ino continued to yell at Naruto for causing Kiba to trip onto Choji, who inevitably spilt his drink onto her skirt.

Sasuke scowled at the blonde. Typical Naruto.

Settling down, Sasuke made the reluctant decision to go and check up on the mischievous group, seeing how nobody else was going to do it. A thought suddenly flickered in his head. Where are the parents? It seemed natural to him that they would go searching for them, unless they were here by themselves. Which, in all likelihood, was a very plausible possibility. So Sasuke relaxed his posture, grunting in annoyance. He would wait.

If it came down to it, he would leave. Better yet, he'll just send the blonde after them. Naruto probably knew them anyways; it wasn't his job to play baby-sitter.

Annoying.

* * *

><p>"Sakura-chan! Thank goodness you're here!"<p>

Sakura slid to a halt in front of the receptionist desk. She looked around, half expecting to see someone fly out at her. But nothing of the sort happened. Everything was quiet. Coldness suddenly prickled her skin.

Turning back to the receptionist, she asked, "What's the emergency?"

The receptionist blinked, seemingly caught off guard, "R-room 212, second floor- I'm sorry, I thought you kne-"

Sakura never got to hear the end of her sentence as she whirled past the front desk, taking the stairs three at a time. Room 212... But that was-

She was suddenly brought to a halt by a shrill cry. There was no thought in her head, no feeling in her limbs. Only instinct. So she ran_._

Pushing open room 212, she was met with complete chaos. Nurses crowded around a young woman, whose blood was currently spilling onto the floor. Next to her, two other nurses crowded around a shrilling pink infant, all working frantically to clear the small babe's nose, mouth and ears. She knew right then that reason for her being there was not because of the newborn- but the mother, whose heart monitor was beating frantically.

Shit.

Before anybody could approach her, Sakura rushed to the mother's side, laying her hands over the women's lower abdomen, green chakra blazing. She didn't need to be told what had happened- she could feel it through her chakra. The woman's tissues and muscles along her uterus tore, breaking blood vessels and allowing the crimson liquid to fall freely onto the tiled floor.

"Sakura! What do I-?"

"Blood." She breathed out, barely catching the nurse's words as she continued to concentrate on stitching the torn walls back together. Another nurse (caught off guard by her abrupt appearance) added her green chakra to Sakura's, placing her hands delicately next to one of the major rips. "We need blood." Sakura continued to mutter. Instantly, the young brunette was gone. Closing her eyes, Sakura forced more of her chakra into the woman, willing the cells to connect faster. The heart monitor jumped once. Twice. There was a brush of cold air, and Sakura looked up to watch the infant being hauled out, allowing room for other nurses to add to the mass of people around the woman's bed.

_Don't die...Don't die..._

"I've got the blood!"

Sakura glanced up, motioning for the girl to hook it up to the mother's vein. Another jump of the heart monitor sent goosebumps along her bare arms, her fingertips numbing. "You!" Sakura motioned to a nurse across from her, "She needs a blood clotter. Go." The nurse nodded and left in understanding. Sakura pulled her thoughts together, focusing on another tear in her uterus. Nothing was working- the blood kept coming out...

_Don't die... please, please..._

Think, Sakura. Think.

A sudden thought erupted in her head. Drowning out the cries of the nurses and the pulsing of the heart monitor, Sakura spread her chakra further, searching for any more damage that may have previously gone unnoticed. The woman's chakra, realizing her foreign presence, automatically began to block her healing path. Cursing, Sakura forced more of her chakra into the mother, pushing her way through the barrier so that she could get a better feel for the other body systems. Immediately, Sakura knew the reason why the mother kept bleeding. Her artery- her femoral artery- had ruptured.

As if on cue, the heart monitor suddenly went still. The constant, lone pulse filled the cavity of the maternal ward, blocking all other sounds from piercing her ears. She knew this sound well. She knew it, perhaps, better than any other nurse at the hospital did. It haunted her- followed her.

_Don't die... you can't die..._

* * *

><p>"I don't know about thi- OUCH!"<p>

The blonde kid was cut off by a sharp smack to the head. It was his older brother, who had just started the academy only a week ago. And already he was getting into trouble. "Calm down." The said kid grunted, crossing his arms indignantly in front of his chest. "It's fine. We're not hurting anybody, right?"

The little one sniffled, remembering the traitor's eyes on him. "No, but I still don't think we-"

This time a young girl whose blonde hair seemed to glow in the pitch darkness cut him off. "Don't worry Taro! Look, are you going to help us, or not?"

Taru hunched his shoulders looking at the ground. Then, with a solemn nod, he grabbed the other fireworks, handing them to the other three kids next to him. He watched as everyone finished huddling them in a knot in the center of their neighborhood, tying the long wicks together. "We're going to have the biggest finale ever! Nobody will expect it!" One of the others exclaimed, pumping a fist in the air.

They all looked up as another pop burst in the sky, followed by a large round of applause. They were almost over.

"Everyone know the plan?" One by one, each of the six nodded. "Remember, as soon as everyone begins to return home, light the only a few fireworks, not all."

"The entire village will light up!" one of them exclaimed.

Taro suddenly felt curious at the amount they all were able to sneak out without notice. Turning to his brother, who was now practicing lighting the matches, Taro asked, "Hey brother, where did you find all these?" then, taking a step closer, he added, "They don't look like the other fireworks... see!"

Everyone looked at the bound casing tied under the giant bundle. The brunette gave an irritated sigh while the others snickered at the small boy, whose cheeks were now growing red. "I found them off to the side- away from the other piles they were taking." Shrugging, he continued saying, "My guess is that they wouldn't light- but with the extra wick I wrapped around them, that shouldn't be a problem. Now-" He began, hearing what sounded like the last strings of colorful bursts in the sky, "who wants to light the first one?"

"But- look! I don't think these are fire wor-"

Taro never got to finish his sentence as he was shoved back by the small crowd. The blonde girl with silver hair stayed back, however. Her eyes were peering at the other two round casings, a frown placed delicately on her lips.

"Hey." she said, causing the others to look up. Unlike Taro, everyone respected her. "I believe your younger brother is right Haru. These look like..." She shook her head side to side. They couldn't be, right?

She was never given time to announce her suspicions, however, as Haru lit the match on the wick. She paled, and immediately the gang fled.

* * *

><p>"The blood clotter! Now!"<p>

"It's here!" shouted a petite woman. Seconds later, the dosage was injected directly into the woman.

She moved her hand over the woman's thigh, pushing more chakra into her patient. Glancing up, she saw the other nurses' wide-eyed stare. "What are you doing?" Sakura bit out, angry. "Don't stop- keep working!"

There was a rush of motion around her, but Sakura was too focused on sealing the scrapped pieces of tissues. Her body was shaking, but she didn't care. She could feel her chakra levels dropping dramatically. But she didn't stop. Didn't dare remove her hands. Chancing a glance at the wound, Sakura was pleased to find the blood flow was lessening- thickening as it was supposed to.

_You're a mother... Don't die... please, please, please..._

Sakura's breath hitched as she heard the heart monitor beep. Once. Twice. The nurses around her all stared at the patient in disbelief.

"Stabilizing!" a voice called, relief thick in her voice. Taking another deep breath (more for calming purposes than anything), Sakura continued to work on the artery, making the final seal in the tissue.

Every pulse of the heart monitor calmed her; reminded her that she continued to live and breathe. The numbness that had isolated her limbs suddenly became nonexistence, bringing forth a sharp ache in her body from the chakra exertion she forced in the woman's figure. She could only imagine the amount of pain the new mother would be in when she woke up.

A voice suddenly broke into her train of thoughts.

"Sakura," Sakura glanced up to meet the eyes of a kind woman. She smiled, gently taking hold of Sakura's wrist. "We can take it from here. You have done more than enough tonight."

Sakura looked about ready to argue, but was cut off by another voice behind her- this one male. "She's right Sakura-chan. It's your night off, and the festival is almost over." Shrugging, the said male continued, saying, "If you leave now, you will be able to catch the last of it."

Reluctantly, Sakura made her way back to the exit, wincing as the aches in her body intensified. It was nothing new, anytime she had to expend a large amount of chakra in such a short amount of time, her body usually paid the price for it. "Alright- but keep me updated." Sakura paused, then, craning her neck over her shoulder, she looked at everyone, smiling. "Great job."

Outside, Sakura leaned against the cool wall, shaking.

Unfortunately, for her, Ino could not have been more wrong. She was not, as Ino had put it, 'In and out in no time.'

Shifting her eyes upward, Sakura watched the last of the fireworks burst in the sky. It was obvious to her that she was not up to the long trek back to the park. Her limbs felt like blocks of lead, her eyes growing heavy. After the long shift that morning, and a near death tonight, Sakura felt the need to go home.

With a small shove, the pinkette began dragging her feet across the pebbled pavement, in the direction she hence came.

Along the way, Sakura allowed her thoughts to drift to Naruto and the others, wondering whether they were having fun and enjoying themselves. She thought of Tsunade, and the heavy hangover she would have to deal with in the morning. She thought of Kakashi, and his cool attitude toward the world. Then, there was the thought of Sasuke.

Sasuke, whom she had loved, once upon a time. Sasuke, whom had tried to kill her once upon a time. Sasuke, Sasuke, Sasuke...

* * *

><p><strong>Flashback.<strong>

_"Sasuke?" She craned her head behind her, looking for the raven haired boy. "Can you pass me that book over there?" She indicated with her forefinger towards the top of a shelf. She turned back towards her paperwork, mumbling under her breath. Sasuke, snapping his book shut, rolled his eyes as he pushed himself off the couch. There was a muffled thump, and Sakura looked up to see the spine of the book atop a stack of papers. Taking the heavy novel, Sakura mumbled a quiet, "Thanks."_

_She cast a sideways glance towards her teammate. His cold, black eyes had attatched themselves to one of the photos in her office. It was a picture of her and Naruto. A hallow pang suddenly throbbed inside her chest, and she turned her attention back to her work, an awkwardness falling between the two of them. _

_"So," She began, racking her brain for something to talk about, "How are your eyes?"_

_Sasuke didn't answer. _

_The awkwardness intinsified. Sakura pretended like she didnt feel it, skimming over a patient profile. Chancing another glance at Sasuke, she watched as he pulled down a thick book from a lower portion of the shelf. Her eyes unconsciously drifted to the title of the spine. "Uncovering the root of Emotions: Volume III"_

_Sasuke arched an eyebrow, turning towards her. Sakura felt heat swell up in her face. "Oh- uhm.. I see you have found one of Sai's books," She laughed nervously, picking up the last of her stack and placing it with the other paperwork. A soft thump caught her attention, and she turned towards her door, saying, "Come in."_

_It was Naruto, wearing a cheeky grin. She smiled, relieved at having been saved from Sasuke's scrutiny. Another knock racked her door, and Sakura again called out to allow the unkown person entrance. _

_"Sakura-sama, excuse me-" It was one of the male workers, and he stopped at the sight of Sasuke. Scowling, the male ignored the Uchiha, turning his attention back to Sakura. "Tsunade wishes to see you for a sec." Sakura nodded, and said her appologies to her two teammates, before preceding out the door._

**_End Flashback_**

* * *

><p>She scoffed. Sakura couldn't deny that Sasuke had become less cruel over the past few months. So much so, even small children would venture around him- though the parents were not far behind.<p>

Sakura turned a corner, closing her eyes in contentment as the wind dragged dead leaves over the pebbled pavements. She listened to the hum of the insects, the laughter of the village as they began their trek home, and the scuffling of carts moving and swaying as the owners carried their possessions back to where they belong. As if to confirm what she already knew, she watched as a band of kids scattered in different directions to what she supposed was home.

She had almost turned another corner when an airy squeak caught her attention. She paused, turning her head in the direction of the unexpected sound. It was small and high pitched- like that of a child's.

No sooner had she turned her head did she catch sight of a shadow drifting behind one of the trashcans arranged beside the streets. If it were not for the desolateness of the area, she would have brushed the sound off as any of the many civilians. Only, that was not the case.

"Who's there?"

Blinking through the dim lighting, Sakura made out a small figure sitting tucked under the concealment of a fence and garbage bin. Every step she took towards the unknown presence, the clearer the image became until finally she could make out the outline of a child.

At the sight of her, the young boy went stiff, his eyes widening in what she could only guess as shock. She couldn't help but notice the paleness of his skin.

"Hey, are you okay?" Sakura asked, worry thick in her voice. Turning her head in expectance, she asked, "Where are your parents?"

No answer. Sakura watched as the boy's lips moved in silence.

Was he... was he counting down?

Again, Sakura attempted to get a reaction from the boy. "Are you lost?" Then, remembering the gang of kids, she added, "Were you with one of the other kids over there?" She gestured to the bare area beside her.

Still no answer. The child looked about ready to cry. Instinctively, Sakura slipped her hands under the boy's shoulders, drawing him in her arms in an attempt to comfort him. He made no effort to draw away, and so she continued with drawing small circles on the boy's back. "Don't worry," She said, wincing as her knees popped as she stood. "We'll find them."

As she stepped towards the area where the kids had disappeared, the boy let out a small groan. Sakura frowned. "What's wrong?"

The boy gulped. "I-I told them n-not to do i-it." The boy's voice was shaking.

Why was he so scared?

"Them?"

He nodded. She suddenly understood what he meant- the other kids.

"What did they-"

A blinding flare of light suddenly flashed in front of her, cutting her off. Sakura threw herself on the ground, covering the small boy beneath her arms just as the first explosion erupted in her ears. She felt the earth vibrate violently under its wake. The boy screamed, now fully crying. Sakura felt the rain of rocks land on her skin, scorching her from the high temperatures of the large explosion. She gulped in air, a wave of panic washing over her. The smell of smoke engulfed her, and she felt herself choking on the amount of dust in the air.

_What was going on?_

Quickly, Sakura scooped up the kid just as a second explosion rocketed the earth. The force of the explosion caused her to fall forward, and she quickly adjusted her body to land on her back. A loud, piercing scream suddenly rang out in the smoggy air. She didn't waste any time as she struggled to her feet once more. Dropping the kid behind a corner, away from the falling debris, Sakura said, "I need you to go and get help. Can you do that for me?"

He nodded. "Good. Now go!"

Pushing aside the pain in her arms and legs, Sakura raced in the direction of the scream. She dimly noted the warm, wet liquid sliding down her limb as she lunged to the side in order to avoid more of the flaming debris.

All around her, fire raged in a deep red fury. Smoke lied heavy in her lungs, and she pulled her shirt up to cover her nose and mouth. The heat of the flames licked at her bare flesh as she pushed her way deeper into the heart of destruction.

The flames continued to grow and expand, eating at the dry and brittle wooden housings. This summer has been one of the worst, and she couldn't help but think that the destruction wouldn't have been half as bad if it weren't for the drought that they had been experiencing.

"Is anybody there?"

Silence.

Despite the burning heat of the flames, coldness continued to rage through her veins. Slipping on her gloves, Sakura pushed a fallen beam away from her. Movement in one of the small buildings caught her attention.

She raced forward, jumping through the violent heat of flames, landing with a muffled thud on the cluttered ground. She stared, crouching low to avoid the thick cloud of smoke rising above her head. She clinched her eyes shut, trying to ease the sting from her eyes as she crawled beneath a cracked wooden beam. The roar of the fire filled her ears, drowning out the noises from outside. Heat engulfed her, and her skin burned in protest as the flames drew nearer to her form.

"Hey! Is anybody here?"

Nothing. Then a knocking from her left. Sakura turned sharply on her heels, bringing her hand up to shield her face. There, trapped in one of the burning corridors, was a small girl- her hair almost as white as the flames themselves. She screamed again, covering her head with the top of her hands.

Coughing, Sakura raced towards the crouched figure, pulling her into her arms. Ripping off the bottom fringe of her shirt, Sakura handed the girl the small piece of fabric, saying, "Wrap this over your nose and mouth." There was a large crack, and Sakura pulled back just in time to see the top of the ceiling crumble in a heap of flames over the area she had stood only seconds ago.

"We have to get out of here..."

The walls around her burned a deep orange as Sakura set the girl down, tugging her behind herself rather than holding her. She knew right then that she would have to make an exit for them. All around her, fire blazed wildly. A large 'CRACK' echoed around the two of them, alerting Sakura to the walls cavinging in.

"We're almost out, hang on," Sakura shouted over the roar of the fire, feeling the girl's grip tighten in her hands.

She could feel the panic now swelling with in her, and she tried desperatly to keep it out of her voice. The house was larger than she thought. Everywhere she turned, she was met with either a dead end or a patch of flames. The fire was spreading faster than she imagined.

She wasnt sure how many seconds had passed by; everything felt slower. She couldnt have been in here for too long, she reasoned, otherwise she was sure she would see other shinobi coming to aid the firey blaze. Sakura gritted her teeth as a third explosion rocked the air. The violence of the eruption caused her to fall forward, and Sakura, in an attempt not to lose the girl to the flames, pulled her under herself as she crashed on top of her hands and knees. The child screamed as another crash echoed behind them. Sakura looked frantically for an exit.

Luck, it seemed, was on her side that night. To her right, a small opening could be seen; big enough to fit a child through.

"There." she grunted.

Taking the petite hand in her own, Sakura jumped over the fallen tables and broken glass littered on the ground. Behind her, there was a large crack. A large chunk of the caving ceiling all of a sudden collapsed in front of Sakura, causing her to swerve to the side, but not before she flung the girl out of the way. "Go!" she breathed, watching in relief as the girl gave one last look before plunging into the darkness.

Sakura gave a small cry as embers scorched her skin. There was another loud 'POP,' and before she even had time to react, she found herself buried under the burning ruble, the cieling now becoming too much for the walls to bear.

Harnessing the last of her chakra, she created a casing around her flesh to protect her from the flames, but she knew that she couldn't do this forever. She could hear screaming, taste the black smoke as it closed in around her, feel the heat intensify as the flames continued to consume what was left of the house.

And then she felt a pair of strong arms wrap around her shoulders. The weight of splintered wood gradually began to lift away from her form as she felt herself dragged back into a firm, muscular chest. The feel of cool skin pressed against her burning cheek as she felt herself being lifted off the ground. Sakura leaned away from the unknown presence, attempting to push herself up, but she was met with a stern, "Sakura."

At the sound of Sasuke's voice, Sakura's green eyes shot upward. He was the _last_ person she would expect to be here.

Sasuke scowled in irritation. Why was it always Sakura who was caught in situations like this? More importantly- why was _he_ always the one pulling her out of them? He didn't have time to contemplate before Naruto and Shikamaru showed up. Sakura gave a heavy sigh before relaxing into Sasuke's arms. She wanted to hand over the situation to somebody else; she felt like the living dead. Her body, aching, sore, and burnt, sought rest. Moreover, who was she to deny it? The village was _more_ than capable of handling the fire; she knew she had done her part.

Sasuke tightened his grip around her as he watched her close her eyes, shifting her in a more comfortable position so that her head was pillowed against his chest. It felt so natural, having her in his arms like this. He had carried her like this a few times before; once being he found her asleep in the hospital. It wasn't anything unusual, except for the fact that this time, she was injured.

"Sakura-chan!" Naruto panted, peering over Sasuke to look down at his teammate. "Sakura, hey, Sakura, are you okay? Saku-"

"Shut it, Naruto." Shikamaru cut in curtly, having caught up next to the hyperactive blonde. "She's fine." At this, the naru genius eyed Sakura, adding, "In a sense that her injuries are not life threatening. Sasuke, do you think you can take her to the hospital?"

Sasuke shook his head. "The hospital has enough to worry about- Sakura wouldn't want them fretting over her anyways."

"But she's hurt! You have to take her-!"

"Idiot," Sasuke scoffed. "I have enough medical knowledge to treat a few minor cuts and burns. She can heal the rest when she wakes." Memories of Sasuke reading Sakura's medical books surfaced, as well as the knowledge of Sasuke's training with Kabuto. Naruto growled, rubbing a hand behind his head.

"And you're okay with that?"

Sasuke eyed the pineapple head, scowling. A faded voice suddenly screamed, "We need help over here!"

Naruto grumbled, giving Sasuke a hard stare as if to say, "Bastard," but wasted no time in hurrying after the voice. Shikamaru gave a curt nod, saying, "Alright then, I could care less what you do. If you see any other injured, though, send them to the hospital, at the very least." With that, he took off, grabbing two other shinobi along with them.

He watched them retreat, and then turned his attention back to the pinkette, now fully submerged in sleep.

Typical Sakura; even after all those years, she was still as irritating as ever.

* * *

><p>Yay, nay?<p>

People, Please review! I was so disappointed by the number of reviews, I think my heart cracked a little :/ I don't mean to hark on y'all like every other author out there, but I feel that it's the only way to get you guys to just say... something! If you have enough spare time to read this story, then I'm POSITIVE you have a few extra seconds to say, "Yay." or "Nay."

Anyways, for the five that did review: You're my favorite, and I REALLY, _really, _appreciate your thoughts and input. This chapter is for you (:

;) All right- so, on another thought, are any of your schools decreasing the fine arts budget? T_T mine did.

Off to go complain to the wizarding community- Colani.

**(See that little button right there that says review? Click it.)**


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

**Silence**

_..._

_..._

_Can you hear it?_

_..._

_..._

_No. Not any more._

* * *

><p><em>At first,<em>_  
><em>_there was absolute silence.__  
><em>_And at least, there was absolute__  
><em>_silence._

In between, it's a(n)  
>Emotional silence, that'd kill with<br>bare hands  
>Attentive silence, absorbed in the environment<br>Thoughtful  
>silence, wallowing and preparing<br>Embezzled silence, bored in self  
>indulgence<br>Quiet silence, uncomfortable and unwanted  
>Subdued silence,<br>waiting in the wings  
>Meditative silence, which can move heaven and<br>earth  
>Dogmatic silence, enough said about it<br>Comforting silence, no words  
>could describe it<p>

In this communicative silence,  
>Someone,<br>Say  
>something<br>Or, not.

_Venkata Majeti _

* * *

><p><em>Walking into the small village, Masao paused at the piercing bustle of the niche. Sharp clinks and clanks of hammers echoed over the shouts of villagers, muffled footsteps littering the compact hamlet; cries of children sounded below and the hum of voices dimmed and ascended together as one.<em>

_The minister walked up beside him, smiling at the life of the place. _

_"Is everything set?" He asked, motioning for Atsuo to join him at his side._

_"Yes." They said together, smiling._

_With a nod, the three men walked into the warmth of the compound, listening to the beat of its heart, and knowing inside that it would only be a matter of time before it fell silent._

_This was the start._

* * *

><p>Having escaped the chaos of the northern part of the village, Sasuke retreated east towards his own apartment. Over the course of time spent with his team, he had come to know that Sakura hated people breaking into her own home, especially Naruto.<p>

In any case, his home was quicker to get to than Sakura's, whose estate was further south than his own. Sakura gave a small twitch as he carefully maneuvered her onto his back, allowing her arms to sling over his shoulders. Thankfully, for him, most of the villagers were at the fire site, helping to put out the flames, and so he didn't have to worry about the scrutiny of their eyes as he pulled out a key from his pocket, and proceeded into the cool room behind the front door.

Immediately, Sasuke made his way towards the guest bedroom. Opening the door with his free hand, Sasuke carefully slipped Sakura off his back and onto the soft mattress before proceeding to the kitchen, where he located a vile of alcohol along with a roll of gauze and a small towel. If Sasuke had taken Sakura up on learning how to channel chakra to heal, he wouldn't need any of these items; at least, not for something as minor as this.

With his supplies in hand, Sasuke ran a quick look over Sakura in order to identify the more serious injuries. She was bleeding from a deep cut above the knee, and a few second degree burns littered the upper parts of her arms where she had shielded herself.

His scowl deepened as he continued to stare at his teammate's unconscious body. Those stupid kids. He was angry; but more with himself than anyone else. The whole thing could have been avoided.

Letting out a heated sigh through his nose, Sasuke let the thought slip away; it wouldn't do any good now.

Taking another side-glance at Sakura, Sasuke tilted the bottle of rubbing alcohol over the rag, ignoring the sting it brought to his nose, and the sting it would surely bring her. He then gently pressed the damp cloth against the swollen wound, applying pressure to stop the bleeding. SaKura let out a muffled groan, but it quickly subsided as unconsciousness took over her once more.

He listened to Sakura's quiet, rhythmic breathing as he continued to apply pressure, her breathing being the only other sound breaking the silence besides his own quiet breaths.

Seeing that the blood flow had ceased, Sasuke bit off a strip of gauze with his teeth and wrapped it tightly under her leg. Sakura flinched at the pinching pressure involuntarily, her brows coming together in an obvious show of discomfort. Sasuke didn't let up though, knowing infection could set in if he allowed air to seep through. Turning towards the faucet in the bathroom, Sasuke grabbed another towel, holding it under the cool water before squeezing out the excess.

When he turned back, he noticed Sakura had changed position on the bed. She was now on her side, curled up in the fetal position, her pink hair splayed out across the two pillows under her head. Smirking, Sasuke padded over, gently adjusting her so that he could apply the damp cloth to a few of the major burns before wrapping them loosely with the gauze, his mind diving back into his head.

**Flashback**

_It was two A.M. in the morning by the time he arrived back to his apartment. The mission (If one could even call it that) with Lee and Naruto had left his muscles throbbing, though the mild pain was comforting in its own way. Even without his full chakra back, doing Manuel labor, no matter how irritating, had felt like a needed work out. Anything was better than doing nothing._

_Sasuke paused as he pulled out the key to the lock, staring at the slim crack of his door. Narrowing his eyes, he pressed gently against the oak wood, the door giving a resentful low screech at the applied pressure. His eyes, once cold and black, faded into a dark crimson as he activated his sharingon. _

_He never left his door unlocked, much less open. Somebody had been there._

_Nothing seemed amiss in the living room. His eyes scanned the stack of books, looking for anything out of place, before proceeding towards the kitchen. In the silence, a soft squeak of metal reverted off the walls to his ears._

_He vanished from his spot, reappearing outside a closed door. He stood silent, reaching in his side pouch for shuriken. From where he stood, a faint chakra signature could be registered, though so small, he could only feel it when it pulsed. The sound of movement ceased, and Sasuke, cautiously, slowly, gripped the cold metal door knob in his hand. _

_The soft throb that pulsated his senses matched the rhythm of a heartbeat, thumping slowly and steadily. Closer Sasuke drew to the door, carefully placing his back against the dark oak. There was a soft click as the door flew open. His hand stopped mid air as he stared at the pink mass of hair mixed with the soft white of the sheets. _

_Sakura. Sakura?_

_Keeping the weapon raised, Sasuke stepped closer to the bed, peering down. The deep navy blue comforter was cast aside, revealing a slim, toned figure in his wake, outlined by the cream silk sheets. His eyes traveled up towards her face, hidden from view by her pink locks. Silently, so as not to wake the figure, Sasuke pressed the edge of the shuriken against the jugular vein in her neck, being careful so as not to prick the skin. Gently, his fingertips brushed back the hairs of her head so as to reveal the pale skin of her face. _

_At his touch, Sakura's eyes gradually flickered open. As soon as her emerald eyes met his, he pulled back his weapon, knowing now that she wasn't a fake. Her eyes were something no ninja could ever copy, because unlike other shinobi, Sakura seemed to be filled with a complete other presence. They were always deeper and more profound than any other eyes he has ever glanced into. And in return, they seemed to see the depth in another person's eyes. _

_She didn't move as she watched with an empty expression as he pocketed the sharp weapon._

_"Sasuke...?" she croaked, her voice hoarse from lack of use. Sasuke looked back at her, his sharp eyes locking in on the dark blotches under her eyes. She was exhausted, so much so that even now, he could barely register her unique chakra signal. "I'm sorry, I didn't know when you'd get home, and I knew you lived clos-"_

_"It's fine," he murmured, already turning back towards his own room. "Go back to sleep."_

_Sakura sat up even more, allowing the sheets to fall beside her, revealing her bare shoulders, clothed only in a black tank top. Sakura wobbled as she delicately placed her bare feet on the cool wooden floor, shivering. Sasuke paused, watching as she unsteadily made her way towards him with her hand braced against the wall. Her skin shone a soft, pale glow in the darkness, and Sasuke couldn't help but eye the petite girl._

_"You're bleeding." She murmured quietly. Stopping in front of him, Sakura raised her hand to the slit in his collarbone where a nail had bit into him. The cut was small, but deep. Sasuke stopped her, grabbing her wrist in a firm and gentle grip._

_"Not tonight."_

_Sakura looked up, confused. He motioned towards the guest bed, indicating that she should go back to it. _

_A crease descended upon her brow as she said, "It will only take a-"_

_"Sakura." Sasuke shook his head, releasing her wrist; it was apparent that she didn't even realize how tired she was. "Go back to sleep."_

_Making his way towards the living room, Sasuke silently shut the front door with a soft click before making his way towards his room. A muffled thud suddenly caught his attention, and Sasuke glanced inside to find Sakura adjusting the covers over her body, her head turned away from the door. Smirking, Sasuke turned to walk away when he caught sight of a white slip on the wooden desk. He paused, picking it up to examine._

_After a few moments pause, Sasuke eyed the pink haired girl once again, an alien feeling pooling into the pit of his stomach. With a small grunt, Sasuke laid the Band-Aid back down atop the flat surface, cracking the door before he threw off his shirt and climbed into his own warm covers embrace. _

**End Flashback**

When he was done wrapping the wounds, Sasuke picked up a blanket from a chair in the corner, draping it over her form. He smirked as Sakura unconsciously gripped at the edges, snuggling into the apparent warmth it brought her. There was a soft sigh that caught Sasuke's ears, and he allowed his eyes to travel to her face. Her expression looked content.

With a nod of finality, Sasuke switched off the lamp at the desk, and turned to head back out, knowing Naruto would give him hell the next day if he didn't go back down to help.

* * *

><p>"Where are they!"<p>

"Naruto, would you chill out already? Tsunade has everyth-"

_"Where are they, Kiba!"_

Hinata stepped in front of the two men, placing her hands on Kiba's chest as he made a move towards the blonde. "Please, stop! Arguing won't do any-"

"Idiot! Do you think I'm happy about this? I'm just as frustrated as you are!" Kiba growled, arching a fist at the angered blonde.

Naruto gripped his hair, throwing his head back with an arresting cry. "We just got done building these damned houses! Now look at them!" Naruto pointed a finger animatedly at the pile of wood and smoldering embers.

"Ahh, come off it. Only two houses burned completely, its not like the entire neighborhood went up in flames!"

At this, the blonde threw his hands up in exasperation, glaring at the Inuzuka clan member with something close to incredulity. "Are you serious?" he shouted, drawing the attention of a few on-lookers. "_Only. Only?" _Naruto glared once more, drawing a fist._ "_Why I ought to-"

"Naruto." Hinata and Sasuke said the name together.

The spiked blonde, dropping his fist, turned toward the raven haired male. A thin, pale line bubbled up on the horizon, allowing enough light for Naruto to see the dust and grim on his teammates clothes.

"So you came back, did you?" Naruto snickered, seeming to have already forgotten his argument with Kiba.

Sasuke arched in eyebrow at the blonde, deciding not to say anything. Naruto watched Sasuke for a moment, allowing his smile to fade. "So," he began, seriously, "How's Sakura?"

Hinata looked up, confused. "Sakura-chan? What's wrong, did something happen?"

Sasuke ignored her, addressing Naruto. "Hn. She's fine. It's only exhaustion."

"Well, considering one of the houses collapsed on her, I'd say she got pretty lucky."

Hinata looked at Kiba, her face horrified. "A house... collapsed on her!"

Sasuke eyed the Inuzuka clan member, his fingers instinctively twitching slightly. Naruto, missing the gesture, nodded in understanding. It could have been a lot worse, considering the details of the mishap.

"Hn."

A large crash resounded behind them, and all four ninja turned to see a villager emerging from a cloud of dust, coughing. "Damn those kids! Look what they've done-" The senior stopped, turning towards the eight pair of eyes on him. "Oh- Is that you, Naruto?" The old man narrowed his eyes, drawing nearer.

"Hey, old man!" Naruto called, waving his hand. Hinata weaved around Kiba, wrapping her arm around the man's waist in order to keep him upright. His face was painted black by the ashes and grime, and he carried in his hand a small photo. Stopping beside the group of shinobi, the senior buckled over, giving a a cracked, wet cough before turning behind him to spit. Sasuke shut his eyes in disgust while the others made faces.

"You alright?" Naruto asked, giving the elder man a slap on the back, to which he once again buckled over.

"_Naruto_." Kiba growled, annoyed. The man gave another throaty croak before blinking at each of the ninja around him, his eyes lingering on both Naruto and Sasuke. "You-" he began in a low croak, pointing a bony finger at the blonde, "You were _just _like them. Mischievous, thoughtless, destructive-"

Naruto cleared his throat, throwing his chin in the air. The man ignored him.

"-irksome and disobedient. _But-' _The man paused for emphasis, smiling. "but, you my dear boy, have brought the village _together as one." _Naruto blinked, seeming to have awoken from some lost dream from long ago.

"And _you, Sasuke Uchiha-" _The old man hummed, looking solemn. Sasuke opened his eyes again, allowing his cool, dark hues to rest in the elder's blue ones. "_you, _who at such a young age, have seen what most men miss in a lifetime, have finally _seen the light_-" The elder man trailed off in a whisper, and Sasuke felt like the man was looking at something totally beyond his physical form, but into the spirit within, into the pain and bloodshed hidden inside. Coldness prickled him, and he suddenly felt very vulnerable; a feeling he had never quite experienced before.

It was then that he agreed with himself that this was no ordinary man. He was somebody; perhaps even a retired shinobi.

"Well then-" The old man shook his head, snapping out of the trance that appeared to have consumed him. "If you will, I could use your assistance in moving the wooden planks to the crafts men. Come now!" Hinata cast a glance at the two silent shinobi before them. She didn't think either of them really heard him. Nudging Kiba, she said, "Come on, Kiba, we should help."

* * *

><p>Shizune flinched as Tsunade continued with another round of her harangue, watching from under her bangs as the group of kids before her got stripped of their pride and dignity. Tsunade, shoving her chair around to face the panel of windows, gave an aggravated growl.<p>

"Now get out. _All of you_!"

"H-hai!"

The black haired assistant waited until the students bowed and left before she cautiously glanced at the fuming Hockage. "L-lady Tsu-"

_"What now!"_

Shizune gulped, cringing before she stepped in front of Tsunade's paper strewn desk, thankful that she didn't have to meet the Hockage's large, Carmel eyes. "Don't you think that you were a _little _harsh on them? It was an acc-"

_"I was harsh on them?" _Tsunade whirled around so fast in her chair, Shizune leapt back with a yelp at the suddenness off it. "If anything, I was _lenient _with them!"

"Yes, bu-"

Tsunade gave a loud sigh, rolling her eyes. "A week of suspension from the academy in order to help rebuild what they burned down is fitting punishment! I will not have a crowd of _hooligans_ destroying our village!"

"Yes, I understand, but-"

A knock on the door suddenly erupted them. Tsunade pushed herself out of her chair, bracing her body on the edge of her desk. "Come in!" she barked, irritation dripping heavily from her tone in voice. At the sight of Sai's pale skin and black eyes, Tsunade gave a sigh of relief, plopping herself back in her chair.

"So what news do you bring?"

"We have a total of nine injured, excluding the students. All in all, I believe we fared well considering the factors of the event." Tsunade nodded, motioning for the ANBU to continue. "Shinobi have been sent out to help the villagers with the reconstruction of the houses."

Tsunade grunted in approval. "And what of the fireworks the kids set off?"

"Bombs," Sai concluded, "designed in the shape of a rocket so as to reach long distances. Apparently, the ones they got a hold off were cast aside, as the shape of the container rounded with the density of the sustenance contained within."

The female hockage narrowed her eyes. "Cast aside? What do you mean they were _cast aside?_"

Sai blinked, unsure of how to answer. Tsunade waved a hand at him, dismissing the question with a huff of breath. "Never mind that, I'll get to the matter later. Is that all the news you have?"

"Not exactly."

Tsunade paused. Slowly, she laced her fingers together, leaning forward on the oak tabletop. "Go on."

"Sakura is one of the nine who has been injured. As far as I know, her injuries are fairly mild, but I would recommend that you find a replacement for her patients at the time being."

Again, the Hockage nodded. "Thank you Sai. You may go if that is all."

The ANBU bowed before retreated behind the oak door. Shizune blew her bangs aside as she maneuvered herself to stand beside the Hockage. "Would you like me to look through the list of available medics?"

Tsunade shook her head, turning to watch the top of the sun emerge from the billowing clouds, now reflected a bright pink and orange. "That won't be necessary- I'll see about her patients."

Shizune, alarmed, opened her mouth to argue, but closed it quickly, knowing that the blonde women had been confined to the Hockage tower for some time lately. It would do her some good to get back to the hospital for a while.

"Well- I guess that would be alr-"

"Good! Then I will leave my paper work with you, then."

Shizune blinked in surprise as Tsunade rushed passed her, disappearing behind her double doors with a 'Poof.' Then, realization slapped her across the chest as she turned back to a stack of fresh papers on her desk. What had she done?

"LADY TSUNADE!"

* * *

><p>Sakura knew she was asleep, stuck in the "In-between" of consciousness and unconsciousness, and so she heard the door open and shut gently; subconsciously knew there was a presence with her and knew also that the presence was drawing nearer to her by the sound of footsteps. But she didn't have the strength to open her eyes, didn't have the will to move, and so she settled for shifting her body further into the blankets, taking in the scent of warm, crisp linen. Shifting her head downward, she could smell a subtle, musky scent, like that of leaves and bark.<p>

She inhaled softly, trying to remember why the scent seemed so familiar. She felt herself diving deeper into sleep, the sounds becoming lost to her ears as she listened to her own heartbeat. The footsteps softened as she heard a squeak from a nearby door, but still, she didn't move; didn't want to move.

She knew the presence was staring at her form. Even in her state, she could feel the weight of the gaze, but she ignored it. In her head, she was dreaming about the fire. It was all around her, drawing nearer to her, suffocating her. Only, unlike reality, everything was silent. There was no roar, no crackling discharge of burning wood, no echoes of civilian cries.

And then the dream vanished as her eyes fluttered open at the heated touch on her forehead, the vision of Sasuke pulling her up dissolving into deep, black eyes. It took her a second to figure out where she was. Blinking sleep away, she could see the light, cream-colored walls, highlighted by the sun's rays filtering through a nearby window, the dark, wooden bed frame at her feet, matching opaque wooden flooring; this wasn't her room. This was-

"Drink this."

The stupor of sleep was now departing her body, leaving her susceptible to the sharp aches in her figure that had previously been numbed by unconsciousness. She winced as she sat up, taking the glass of water in her hands. An odd feeling began creeping into her veins as Sasuke waited patiently for her to finish the drink.

She relished the feeling of the water trickling down her throat, cooling the scratching pangs that had begun to ail her. "Thanks," she croaked, clearing her throat before she passed the empty glass back. She stopped when she saw the white bandages on her arm.

"You did this?" She whispered, barely keeping the astonishment out of her voice. Sasuke nodded, turning towards the chair at the corner of the room.

Throwing back the covers, Sakura was thankful to find all her articles of clothing were still on, blushing involuntarily at the thought mere thought of-

Sakura pinched her hand, stopping her train of thought where it stood, dismissing it immediately. There was no point in fantasizing over something that would never be.

Ignoring the stiffness of her body, Sakura stood up, deciding to look at her injuries. They didn't all need her attention, she decided, looking at a scratch on her forearm, and so she concentrated chakra into the areas that caused her the most pain. Her eyes began creeping shut as she plopped down on the bed. She was so tired. She could feel the weight of sleep pressing in on her, begging her for another short nap...

"I should probably go back to the Hospital- after last night, we may be-"

"You have the day off."

Sakura blinked as a thin scroll was tossed into her lap. Picking it up, she found Tsunade's delicate handwriting scribbled on the blotched parchment.

_Sakura-_

_Don't worry about work for the next couple of days, I'm putting you on bed rest for _

_the time being. Hockage's order._

_-Tsunade_

After a moment, she raised her eyes to the raven haired male in the corner, now reading a book.

"You're covered in soot." She said after a moment, eyeing the black grime on his clothes and skin. He didn't comment. Sakura gave a sigh, pushing the awkwardness away from her.

"Why are you here?" She tried again, but immediately regretted opening her mouth. Sasuke smirked at her, to which Sakura ignored.

"I live here."

"Right." Sakura bit her lip, feeling for the first time in a long time unsure of herself. She frowned, watching Sasuke under her loose hair. She wasn't sure what to do now. She was awake; tired, but awake. And now, she had nothing to do.

The thought unsettled her. She wasn't used to _not _working- but then again, having nothing to do for a couple of days wasn't necessarily a bad thing. Come to think of it... she now had time to work on her research for the immune system. She smiled at the thought. Her days wouldn't be pointless after all.

Stretching her back, Sakura reluctantly pulled herself up, catching Sasuke's attention. Her limp didn't go unnoticed.

"Well, thank you Sasuke," she nodded at her bandages and the bed. "But I best be on my way." She paused, glancing at the seated figure in the corner. "You're not hurt?"

Sasuke raised an eyebrow at her.

"If you're going to the Hospital to work, forget it."

Sakura opened her mouth, a flash of anger sparking in her, but shut it quickly. Her eyebrows twitched, leaving a crease in her forehead.

"Sasuke, I can do what I want- and in any case," she added defensively, her tone sharp, "I'm going to the library, not the Hospital."

Sasuke watched as she briskly brushed past the hallway and out the front door, leaving nothing but a small dip in the bed and a profound silence that seemed to stretch for eternity in her wake. Silence has never bothered the Uchiha- in fact, he was more comfortable with it by his side. It was his shadow, his sidekick, his follower.

But for some reason, the silence now felt heavy; burdened. Shaking his head, Sasuke put the book away, pulling his shirt off as he opened the restroom door. A cold shower was just what he needed.

And yes, he would take it in silence.

* * *

><p>(AN)

Thank you all for the wonderful and kind reviews! They are a great encouragement to me during the times of struggle.

I want to give a special shout out to alayneni :) for reminding me of why I began writing in the first place. Not for fame, or praise, or whatever- but for the simple joy it brings to others and me.

With that being said, I hope you enjoyed the third chapter! ^_^

Until next time- Colani.


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4**

**Fear**

_Thumpthumpthump_

_thumpthump_

_..._

* * *

><p><em>... ... ...<em>

_It comes when the sun goes down_

_Where the shadows grow and move_

_In the cold, away from the light_

_It shifts and coils, prepared to strike_

_It resides in my chest_

_In the nightmares of my dreams_

_Its presence is sharp_

_Painful like a cut, cold as ice it seems_

_It appears out of nowhere, when the unexpected happens_

_It's touch burns inside me, my heart to race inside_

_It blossoms in the darkest hours, consumes me when I try to hide_

_It is fear, I suppose_

_Come to haunt me till I die_

_..._

**_-Jane Doe_**

* * *

><p><strong>Two weeks later.<strong>

She didn't know what she was doing; not consciously anyways. Opening her eyes, Sakura once again peered down at the small text, re-reading the third paragraph for what felt like the umpteenth time that night. It didn't make sense; though she supposed nothing ever did the first time one tries something complicated.

If the Immune system is truly trainable, then she should be able to alter the cells to submit to foreign substances- In fact, by training the immune system, she should be able to stop the white blood cells from attacking ones own body. Trying again, Sakura zeroed in on one of her T cells, willing it to move past the antigen in her body.

She could feel herself losing control as more T cells joined in on the attack.

"Just a little more... come on..." she chanted stubbornly. She always had the hardest time when it came to a mob of white blood cells. Her precision was off- she had to spread her chakra out evenly between hundreds of thousands of cells so that the balance was perfect.

At the sound of a sharp knock, Sakura's chakra spiked, her attention temporarily drawn away from her cells to the front door. Her influence of the cells dimmed, faltered once, twice-

Cursing loudly, Sakura threw herself back over on her bed, groaning in frustration. Another loud knock echoed over the hallways, reminding her that she had a visitor. Swallowing her fury, Sakura rolled over in reluctance, keeping a hand on the wall as she made her way clumsily through the narrow hallway.

At the sound of a third knock, Sakura flung her hands up in annoyance, almost tripping down the stairs as she shouted, "I'm coming! I'm coming!"

Flinging the door open, Sakura halted, eyes pinned on the figure in front of her. In the dim moonlight, a glint of white caught her eyes. Her hues stayed trained on the towering silhouette as she gracelessly flipped on a light switch. The man remained still as light flooded around him, evaporating any doubt of his identity.

"Kakashi?" She whispered, shocked. Her eyes flickered briefly towards a cut along his upper brow before latching on again to his lone eye poking out from under his mask.

The silver-haired anbu captain gave a hesitant nod. His posture was sunken, eyes dimmed. "May I come in?"

A small wriggle caught her attention, and Sakura glanced down to a tiny bundle wrapped in his Kakashi's large arms, held securely against his chest. Peering forward, Sakura could see a tiny fist resting against what appeared to be the side of a very small human-like face. Is that..Is that a baby?

"It an emergency." He prodded gently, seeing traces of uncertainty reappear on her face.

Sakura, feeling slightly alarmed, took a step back, allowing room for Kakashi to come in.

"Of course."

Kakashi paused as he began to pass Sakura. Looking down, the anbu-captain relinquished his hold on the tiny infant as Sakura snaked her arms under the tiny bundle, gently cradling the infant in her arms as she gave a small kiss to its forehead. She stared down at the small babe, smiling at her reflection in the child's dark-blue eyes. Sakura bunched her eyebrows as a fresh new wave washed over her. Inhaling again, the scent became more recognizable. Smoke.

"Where did you-" Sakura stopped, shaking her head. "I mean, what were you-"

"I found her."

"Where?" She demanded appalled.

Kakashi gave a large sigh, running a hand through his silver mane. Thrusting his hands inside his pockets, Kakashi stared at the crooning infant, now staring blankly at Sakura's swinging pink locks.

"Sakura." Kakashi waited for her to look at him before going on, catching her emerald eyes and holding it in his own. "We need to talk."

Sakura felt her muscles stiffen at the tone in his voice. It was hollow, crisp; lacking even the smallest bit of warmth and humor that once presided in his light voice. Her eyes narrowed.

"What happ- OW!"

A sharp tug on her head pulled her attention to the infant cradled in her arms. The child, armed with a fistful of her pink hair, shrieked in laughter as she shook her trophy side to side, kicking her tiny feet in the air. Kakashi too, gave a smirk at the bubbling high pitch squeal.

"Here. This should be everything."

Glancing down, Sakura eyed the navy bag on the wooden floor.

"Oh no. No, no, no- I can't keep her, I'm barely home an-"

"I've already talked to Tsunade."

Sakura gaped at him. Unbelievable. This was unbelievable.

"It's just for a little while," He prodded gently. "Besides, I have something more important for you."

Seriousness suddenly settled over the two of them as they stared at each other. Blinking helplessly down at the crooning child, a soft wave of warmth washed over her as she watched the child's drooping eyes close with finality. With a sigh of defeat, Sakura gestured for Kakashi to take the infant from her. "I believe my mother put away my old crib in the storage room. I'll go and get it."

* * *

><p>Sakura, after much frustration, finally found the wooden crib placed low over a stack of papers and books. Gently, so as not to wake the sleeping infant, Sakura placed the small babe on her back, throwing a soft, blue blanket over her form.<p>

She gave a deep sigh, running a hand through her pink locks as she stared at the sleeping child. Everything was feeling suddenly chaotic- as if a whirlwind just decided to drop out of nowhere, destroying everything and leaving her mind in a disorganized blur. "What am I doing..." she murmured, talking to no one in particular.

A memory flashed behind her eyelids, illuminating the darkness in her head.

She saw herself next to Kiba, her head in his lap. She could see herself laughing, her shoulders racking up and down as she flipped onto her back, her eyes gazing up at the sky. Kiba's hand ran delicately through the top of her head, brushing aside a stray strand of hair. She closed her eyes.

"I've always wanted kids of my own," he murmured, looking away.

She opened her eyes, sitting up.

She heard Kiba ask, "What's wrong?"

She began to stand up, already moving away. "Nothing," she whispered, not turning around. "It's nothing."

Flipping the light switch off in her room, Sakura padded down the hallway towards the staircase where Kakashi waited patiently for her. She slowed her pace as she neared the bottom, brushing a stray strand of hair away from her eyes.

"So," Sakura began, turning to take a seat across from her ex-sensei, "What happened?"

Kakashi closed his eyes, running a hand over his face and chin. "Tragedy happened." He murmured softly, almost to himself. A strained silence followed his reply.

Sakura blinked at him, beckoning for him to go on.

Kakashi leaned forward, resting his elbows atop his kneecaps in a way Sakura would have found casual on any normal day. But looking at him now, she could see the rigidness behind the movement. It was almost painful, reminding her of an elderly person with arthritis. "We were on our way back from a previous mission. There was a village." Kakashi opened his eyes, dropping his voice. "Or, I should say there _used _to be a village..." Kakashi paused, catching Sakura's eyes. "The entire village was wiped out- the people were all dead, their bodies set ablaze."

Inside her head, images flashed behind her head like snapshots of a movie reeled together. She could see the people screaming; see the flames as they burned away memories and treasures from long ago. "But how?" Sakura breathed, shocked, now imagining the cries of people in her head. A shiver crawled up her spine. "Was there an attack? A raid?"

"No. Nothing like that." He interjected.

"Then what?" She demanded.

"An illness." He concluded, face expressionless. Yet the weight of his gaze felt eternal as they rested on her. Kakashi stopped, reaching into his back pocket to pull out a vile of blood, sealed securely with a sealing jutsu. The binding was incredible- black markings zigzagged over the glass tube, literally making it impossible to shatter.

"Potent enough," he continued, with new vigor, "to wipe out hundreds of lives in a matter of weeks." He finished with a low voice, as if something was heavy on his mind. "We were told to stay away. Panic, it would seem, was everywhere. There's something you must understand," he added in a more serious tone. When people begin to panic, they lose all sense of themselves. Their judgment becomes clouded, and their ethics and morals even more so."

Sakura stared at him, her face having paled since the beginning of their conversation.

A deep sigh. "People panicked."

"So the neighboring villagers... they just- they just..."

Kakashi nodded, not needing her to finish the sentence for him. "Yes," he replied solemnly. "They arranged the death of the village- and the death of the people within, if only to protect themselves."

She felt queasy. More images began to burst behind her eyelids. Every time she blinked, a new image would form in her head, always more gruesome than the last. In an attempt to save herself from imagining the destruction, Sakura reached out to take the vile, cradling it gently in her hand.

"The blood came from one of its victims. " He said lazily, appearing to have snapped out of his thoughts at her touch.

Sakura stared at it thoughtfully, thinking dimly that one wrong move on her part, and the whole village could be wiped out by the species contained within. The sealing jutsu did little to reassure her as she absently tightened her grip on the cool glass tube stained black. As if on cue, a shrill panic shot within her as she realized exactly what she was holding; what she held tightly in her sweaty palm. Shooting a look at Kakashi, Sakura cried, "Are you mad? Why would you bring this here! Into the village! If this were to get out..." Sakura let the sentence hang delicately in the air, unable to finish; unable to voice her fear.

Kakashi was quiet as he stared at her. An eerie calmness seemed to overtake him as he sat up even more in his chair. "Because," he began absently, a line of tension drawn between his shoulder blades, "I don't believe the disease, virus, or whatever it may be sprung there by accident."

A rush of uneasiness came over her as she glanced back down at the blood vile with new apprehension. "You can't expect everything to be an attack on the village. New diseases and such sprout up all the time." She replied, not unkindly, but with a hint of dry humor.

"Yes," he agreed, thoughtfully. "But not ones like this. A group of medics in another camp examined the villager's blood before setting fire to it." Reaching into the side of his vest, he produced two folded pieces of papers stamped with a red seal that read 'CLASSIFIED" on top in bright crimson letters. Tentatively, Sakura plucked them from his open hand, an icy chill running through her veins. Whether from fear or the chill of the house, she couldn't say.

Unfolding the pieces of parchment, Sakura hungrily ran her eyes over the letterings and figures. Small scratch markings littered the thin paper, reminding Sakura of Naruto's messy and disorganized notes. At first sight, nothing seemed abnormal. Five graphs, clearly hand-drawn, dominated the top of the first parchment, representing the five samples that they were willing to get a hold of.

She frowned. CBC was normal, blood culture showed no signs of a viral infection, even the white blood cells were in perfect shape. She stared at the piece of paper for a few more second before turning her attention to the second piece clutched tightly in her hand. She was met with a similar line graph stretched horizontally across the creamy parchment. Under it, a set of percentages outlined the bottom edge of the graph, whereas on top were listed a number of chemical names, all she recognized to be found in blood. Plasma, which most of the blood consisted of, Albumin, Globulin, Mineral cations and antions, the list felt endless. Looking at the zigzag lines above, she felt her frown deepen.

"There's nothing wrong," she stated blankly, confused. "There's nothing wrong with the blood samples. They show that the person..." she paused, her eyes widening significantly, "was perfectly healthy..." Her voice trailed off into a whisper. She glanced sharply at Kakashi.

His face remained expressionless, but she thought she saw a slight twitch to his temple. "Exactly," he grumbled, entwining his fingers once again.

She blinked at him, not knowing what to say, except for the obvious. "Kakashi, you realize that that's not possible. It must have been a mist-"

"No mistake," he interrupted, voice firm. It was the voice she remembered her sensei having, and despite the odd circumstances, she found it oddly comforting. "The evidence that the disease existed is too strong to overlook. And yet," he said, dark curiosity thick in his voice, "the tests show that nothing of the sort ever existed."

_Like the virus went into self destruct, _she thought to herself, appalled. Then aloud, she said, "I see why you say it's not like other illnesses."

Kakashi nodded grimly. "If this is what I suspect it may be," he finished, a shadow passing over his features, "our village may have more to worry about than previously suspected."

A tense silence filled the empty space between the two. Sakura felt goose bumps rise on her skin like the scales of a snake. Still, a question continued to bubble in her head. She bit her lip vaguely, wondering whether to voice it or not. Finally, she decided to go ahead and ask.

"What does Tsunade think of all this?"

A crinkle of a smile etched its way under his mask. "Nothing like this has ever occurred in the history of the lands. She doesn't know what to make of it." A pause. "She believes that it may be a virus mutated by toxic waste, or other such chemicals."

Another pause followed suit. Sakura asked, voice quiet, "And you? What do you think?"

Kakashi stayed silent, his eyes hidden in the dim shadows. In all that Sakura has seen him, she has never seen her teacher more tired, other than the day he found out the truth about the village elders and their monstrosities. He looked old; tired and weather worn. A sharp contrast than the Kakashi she's known him to be growing up. She was about to dismissive her question, worried that it was something her sensei wasn't willing to discuss, when Kakashi said, "I can't say."

For reasons unknown to her, a strong urge came over her: the urge to simply brush the whole conversation away saying, "This whole thing is silly. We've nothing to worry about." But she didn't, simply because she knew she would be lying to herself. And despite the painful want she had, to simply cast the grain of fear away, she could not bring herself to ignore the seriousness of what she was hearing.

In an attempt to turn the subject around, Sakura asked, "How did you get this?" Her hands tilted up, gesturing to the vile of blood still held tightly within her hands.

Kakashi's eyes were deep in thought. Then, with a deep grave tone, one Sakura has never quite heard before, Kakashi replied, "Some things are better left unknown."

A flash of indignation flashed within her, but was quickly smothered out by the thought of what Kakashi must have went through. She didn't need to hear the details, she thought with a pang of guilt. "And what of the baby?" she prodded gently, still not understanding how she came into his possession.

His eyes brightened a bit, clearly having forgotten about the sleeping child upstairs. "Her parents are dead. The illness killed them."

Sakura opened her mouth to speak, a sharp stab of alarm almost causing her to drop the vile onto the dark, oaken floor, but Kakashi raised a hand to forestall her, saying, "She was not in the village at the time; her biological parents sent her away when people first began getting ill. She has had numerous tests done on her. If she had the illness, she would have shown signs of it by now, _especially_ being the infant she is. I can assure you, she is harmless. I would not have brought her here otherwise."

Sakura swallowed, closing her mouth. What Kakashi said was true: everyone in the other village perished. If the child _had_ contracted the fatal virus, she would have perished among them, whether she was in her home village or not. "So where was she sent to?" she inquired.

"The other neighboring villages. Only, nobody was willing to take care of her, fearing for their own lives. They wanted to kill her, even after the numerous test results."

"So you brought her here," she finished for him. "To save her life."

He nodded, shifting himself to stand up. Sakura got up with him. "It's getting late," he pointed out, notifying Sakura that it was time for him to go.

"Yea," she agreed quietly, gripping the front door knob in her hands, "Thanks for talking to me." Kakashi nodded, already three steps out the door. Sakura was about to shut the door when she noticed the blood vile still in her hands. "Wait!" she shouted, rushing after him. Kakashi paused, turning around. "The blood, you forgot it."

"No," he shook his head, "I didn't. That's for you to keep."

"And what am I supposed to do with it?" She inquired, remembering her patients at the Hospital.

A shadow passed over the moon, hiding Kakashi's figure in the temporary darkness. But even in the inky blackness, a grim stiffness could be seen in his silhouette. "Get a head start," he replied, pulling out a small scroll for her to take.

"Here," he said, a hint of embarrassment etching into his voice as he held the paper out for her to take. "Almost forgot."

She took it in her hands, fingers tracing the coiled bottom of the parchment, eyeing the small red ribbon. When she looked up again, Kakashi was gone. Leaning against the now closed door, Sakura unfurled the ribbon, recognizing Shizune's neat slanted handwriting.

_Sakura-_

_Meet me in Lab 5 tomorrow. You and I have been assigned _

_to this unknown illness. Don't worry about your patients, _

_they are being cared for. _

_-Shizune_

A sigh escaped her lips as she slipped the thin piece of parchment into her pocket. Here we go again, she thought with a scowl. Yet again, she was being stripped of her hospital duties. Only this time, it was for vital research. She didn't really mind, she decided, a spark of anticipation blossoming within her as she headed up stairs towards her room, grabbing the navy bag as she passed it.

A sharp wail sounded at the end of the hallway. Sakura jumped at the sound, a painful jolt rushing through her as she rushed to the top of the stairwell. After a few seconds, she realized the wailing belonged to the baby. With a push, the door flew open, and she rushed to the crib.

"Shhhh, shh," she crooned, scooping the infant and holding it to her chest. "Don't cry. You're okay."

The infant, pacified by Sakura's touch, blinked her blue eyes at the pink haired medic, her tears rapidly fading on her pink cheeks. Sakura looked down at her, smiling.

The same memory of her and Kiba flashed once in her mind, bringing forth a sharp ache in her chest. She blinked, staring down at the pink babe.

"I guess you'll have to do," she whispered, her smile diminishing as she placed a small kiss on the infants forehead, settling on the edge of her bed. She began to rock back and forth gently, drawing the baby's eyes close. A thought struck her head.

"Nobody told me your name...," she murmured, half to herself, half to the nameless child. The infant stirred in her arms, her arms rising up before drifting under her chin, a small bubble forming at the tips of her thin lips.

"How does Hana sound?" she asked, knowing the child couldn't hear her. Absently, she placed the child back into the crib before shrugging into her snug tank top and shorts, climbing into bed.

"Hana," she repeated silently. "Beautiful blossom...It fits." With that final thought, Sakura closed her eyes, darkness swooping over her like a dark tidal wave, drawing her closer into unconsciousness.

* * *

><p>(A.N) First off- So sorry for the extremely late update! Time seems to have disappeared from under me, and with work and summer stuff- I feel like this must be the busiest month of the year for me! So just bear with me- It's not my fault (: Well... sort of is, but hey.<p>

Sooo... things ARE getting a bit chaotic... what could possibly happen next? *Grins wickidly*

So this chapter sparked another idea for a story that I would like to do- and with that in my mind, I am more than determined to get this story rolling! Hope the info wasn't over kill x_x

Feel free to post your comments about the ongoing events in the story (:

Much love: Colani :D


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5**

**Confused**

_..._

_..._

_And now we wait._

* * *

><p><em>... ... ...<em>

_"It is the obvious which is so difficult to see most of the time. People say 'It's as plain as the nose on your face.' But how much of the nose on your face can you see, unless someone holds a mirror up to you?"_

_- Isaac Asimov, I, Robot_

* * *

><p>Gently, so as not to agitate the specimen held within, Sakura drew the isolated sample into her pipette. She couldn't remember the last time she had been working on such a damned difficult task. In fact, as the hours ticked away like seconds on the clock, her growing frustration began to eat at her like embers on a log. It was only a matter of time before the embers would spark a blaze, and it wasn't long before the difficult soon began to feel like the impossible. Glancing over at Shizune, she could see the petite woman stealing glances at herself as well.<p>

Together, they had hit wall after wall after _bloody_ damned wall. Sakura slipped out a curse yet again as she watched her sample remain unchanged. Negative. Of course.

Unbelievable.

What were they doing wrong?

"Anything?"

Sakura's green hues drifted from the vial in her hand towards the petite woman across from her, her dark orbs weighing heavily on Sakura.

"Nothing." Sakura bit out, effortlessly sliding the protective goggles away from her face.

"We're missing something." Even though it was phrased as a statement, Sakura could hear the underlying question behind her words.

Sakura rested her hand on her entwined fingers, her brow creasing in puzzlement as she softly murmured a "Yes" in confirmation. _But what, _she added to herself, frustrated.

Shizune's sigh startled her from her train of thought as Sakura looked up to see the dark haired woman reaching for a stack of files atop a cabinet, placed awkwardly in the corner of the stark white room. If her gaze felt heavy on Sakura, the sigh that rang in her ears was similar to a 30-pound weight being hefted onto her shoulders. She didn't know why it felt as such, and was perplexed by her own reactions to the sound of Shizune's frustration and irritation.

All they were trying to do, at least for now, was isolate the virus from the blood sample Kakashi had trusted them with. But never in a million years did she think it would be this hard, moreover it would take this long, to find it.

And then it hit her like a slap to the face. "Shizune!"

The said woman nearly jumped to the side at the abrupt call from Sakura, a curse slipping unceremoniously from her lips. It never ceased to amaze her how similar the Sanin woman was to her pink haired apprentice, and although Shizune admired Tsunade for the medic and leader she was, there were some characteristics that she could live without. This being one of them.

Casting the manila folders to the tabletop beside her, Shizune quickly made her way to Sakura who was currently digging in the bottom drawer of her workstation. "What is it?" She demanded, alarmed.

Sakura wasted no time as she grabbed another micro sample of tainted blood from the blood vile held protectively in her hands, her eyes concentrated solely on keeping the sample in its contained area where if a spill did occur, the virus would have no chance of escaping the hood that held it captive.

With upmost precision and delicacy, Sakura allowed no more than a single drop of blood to land on the glass slide before her. A few more seconds passed as Sakura prepared the slide to be viewed under the microscope, ignoring Shizune's questioning stare for the time being.

"The blood," she began, pausing to adjust the microscope to a more powerful and accurate setting, "is _perfectly_ _normal_. Shizune, there's nothing wrong with it! There's nothing to isolate!" Suddenly twirling in her chair, Sakura glanced at Shizune who suddenly stiffened where she stood, slight disbelief hanging shrewdly in the pools of her eyes. Her face practically screamed _"What are you talking about?"_

Sakura only gestured for the older woman to have a look; her green hues alight with a hint of concealed amazement mixed with confusion.

It was as if they were back to square one. And that was where they should have stopped. So fixated on finding the invisible virus, they had completely overlooked the obvious.

The reason for their relentless failures was not due to their lack of precision and technical expertise (Kami knows the years spent by the two women on perfecting such critical skills), but because there was nothing in the sample that would ever trigger a positive result; there _was_ no virus to be isolated.

At least not in this blood sample. It was clean, healthy, and above all, _harmless_. And that fact was completely disregared. Because how could an entire village be wiped away by... nothing? It didn't make sense.

How could a virus simply vanish into thin air, unless it were never there to begin with? It couldn't, could it? And what if it did? What would that mean for her? For her village? For finding a cure?

The thought put ice inside her veins. Shizune turned away from the microscope, plopping herself back into her chair, her eyebrows forming a crease as she delved herself into deep thought. It would seem that they had come to the same conclusion.

Shizune's voice was dark when she spoke next. "We need to be _absolutely_ sure about this," she said, catching Sakura's green hues in her own. Immediately, Sakura knew where this was going. Guilt pressed firmly inside her chest as Shizune stood and made her way over to the door across from her.

She waited. There was the sound of fluttering wings and then nothing. She watched with a blank face as Shizune returned with a small pigeon clamped tightly to her side. With a nod of her head, Sakura pulled out a syringe from another drawer, drawing out a tiny amount of the blood serum.

If they were right, and there indeed was no virus lurking in the blood vile, the bird had nothing to fear. If they were wrong however…

* * *

><p>"Lady Tsunad-!"<p>

"_Shut it Naruto!" _Tsunade growled, her large caramel eyes dancing over reports from the past couple of weeks. She was so behind and the _last _thing she needed was yet another distraction. In her peripheral vision, she could see the blonde hopping impatiently from foot to foot.

Huffing out a breath of hot air, the hokage turned to the jounin. "This had better be good." She warned, voice dark.

Naruto let out a string of nervous laughter, scratching the back of his head in response to the Hokage's apparent fowl mood. "Actually, baa-chan, I was wondering if-"

A sharp knock on the door cut him off. Naruto gave a slight flinch at the sound, obviously not expecting it. Tsunade slammed her fist on the desk in aggravation, barking out a quick "Come in!" before standing, her hands splayed out over her desk.

Her eyes immediately softened at the sight of Shizune and Sakura.

"Shizune! Sakura! Please come in!" Then turning to Naruto, she said, "Naruto, whatever it is you want, it will have to wait."

Naruto frowned at the seriousness in her voice, taken aback by the sudden change in demeanor and sharpness in tone. All three of them could identify the urgency laced delicately in her words. He stared at the Hokage, eye's challenging for an explanation. Tsunade stared right back, however, a sharp glint in her eye that seemed to pierce through him with radiating clarity.

He gulped. He knew a leave-or-die glare when he saw one. And nobody could give it better than the Uchiha and Lady Tsunade herself. Damn she could be scary sometimes.

"Y-ya, sure thing!" Naruto huffed, giving the Sanin a half way salute before turning on his heel to leave.

On his way out however, he caught Sakura's emerald eyes in his own. She met his gaze with a smile of her own, but gave no more acknowledgement than that. She could easily read the question in his porcelain blue gaze.

With a spark of impatience, Sakura shot the blonde a slight shake of her head to which Naruto automatically translated into a "Not now."

_Those three are up to something, no doubt about it_, Naruto thought, his curiosity almost getting the better of him.

They waited for the blonde to shut the doors and for his footsteps to disappear down the long hallway before Shizune tossed a classified folder to the Sanin.

"We have a problem."

Tsunade eyed the folder briefly before gently picking it up, her hands robotically opening the pages and eyes skimming the reports below with acute concentration. Sakura watched Tsunade's face carefully with a held breath, not sure what to expect. Shizune and the pinkette both knew that Tsunade's expertise with medical mysteries were far more polished and advanced than there own knowledge.

Maybe she had an explanation for all of this.

"...what is this?"

Yet again, maybe even that was too much to ask for.

* * *

><p>All his life, Sasuke has known that life was unfair.<p>

Life was unfair when it took his family away from him, wiping the entire Uchiha clan out in a single night by none other than his older_ brother, _Itachi. It was unfair when it allowed for him to travel the path he did all those years ago.

It was unfair when his brother faced death by his hands, when he felt the pain of his loss raging like a fire within him, seeming to eat him alive from the inside out; changing him into a person that he would remember always with a shuddering pang. It was unfair when he was treated as a stranger into the village he once called home, though he deserved it and should have expected it.

Life was cruel.

It was beautiful at times; but nevertheless unfair and unjust. He knew from his own understanding of life that it lacked any such sympathy for those who feel pain, lacked any mercy when it came to death, and most certainly had a sick sense of humor, even for him.

But even life couldn't explain why the criminals seem to live till old age, while the heroes are the ones who fall and die, still young, or why the fates, heartless and perverse in their ways, dish out a time of calm before a storm that in turn kills millions, or why, as of right now, Kakashi felt the need to hand him a bubbling baby with a navy duffelbag, telling him that it was his _bloody-damned mission _to watch over her for the time being.

And so, Sasuke had found himself spending most of the day trapped with a high-pitched _baby _on a perfect sunny day in beautiful Konoha. And to make matters even _more_ lovely_,_ Naruto was waltzing towards him with that cheeky grin of his.

Oh yes. Life was _damn well _unfair.

"Hey, Sasuke-teme!" Naruto called, hand held up in greeting. "Whatcha up to?"

Naruto paused at the top of the hill, eyes squinting in the receding sunlight. From his vantage point, he could just make out the outline of Sasuke's prominent figure siting on a shady bench with something in his arms. A high pitched squeal suddenly broke the silence of the two and Naruto's face went stark white.

"_Is that...Is that a baby in your hands?!" _Naruto cried, finger pointing at the tiny bundle cradled in Sauke's arms. "Why the hell do you have a _baby? _You didn't tell me that _you were a_-!"

"_Enough _Naruto!" Sasuke growled, aggravation leaking heavily in his sharp tone of voice. "_It's not mine." _

Sasuke gave the dark haired infant a heated glare as her small hands reached up towards him, grabbing a few strands of his hair in the process. His scowl only deepened when she cooed at the prize held in her fist, promptly thrusting the strands in her tiny mouth to Sasuke's dismay. He wasted no time pulling the strands out of her opened mouth and disposing them to the ground below. Annoying little thing.

Naruto's face looked like a tomato at this point, and it took all of his strength to not laugh at the scene before him. The great Uchiha turned into baby-sitter. Oh Kami.

"So," he began, his voice dancing with amusement as he moved out from the sun's glare and into the shade where he could get a better look at the babe cradled in Sasuke's large arms, "Whose baby is it?"

"Orphan."

"Orphan?" Naruto repeated, baffled. "But what happ-?"

"I don't have details, Idiot." Sasuke interjected, rolling his eyes in blatant irritation towards the blonde knucklehead. He didn't have time for this. He needed to be training or doing something more productive with his time.

"How long do you have to watch her?"

Sasuke cast a sideways glance at the blonde next to him. "Until Sakura comes back."

"Sakura?" Naruto murmured, incredulous. Well that was shocking to say the least. Because Sakura, last time he checked, was currently unavailable. And besides that, what does she have to do with this baby?

Seeing the question in his arched brow, all Sasuke said was, "Ask Kakashi, dobe."

There was another squeal and then a small hiccup from the infant, and Naruto couldn't help but beam at the tiny human. Crying babies were one thing. But happy little humans were adorable at times, no doubt about it. Sasuke only grumbled something about babies being bothersome, but he ignored it. Once an ass always an ass, he reasoned with a snicker, earning himself a dangerous glare from the Uchiha.

Standing, Sasuke grabbed the duffel bag beside him and wordlessly turned to walk away without warning, ignoring the alarmed look from Naruto.

"Hey!" Naruto barked, already jogging to catch up to the Uchiha. "Where do you think you're going?"

The glare he received was sharper than a kunai. There was a moment of silence, a heated sigh, and then, "I'm going to find Kakashi."

"Oh," was all Naruto said to that.

Together they walked in content silence. And for once, life was almost to the point of feeling normal again.

"You know," Naruto drawled after a few minutes passed, "I think she like you."

No response.

"The little squirt." He added for clarification.

Still no response.

Yep. Some things would never change it seems.

* * *

><p>Hello all! Yes. It has been a while. Honestly, I had forgotten about this story- but having come across it once again, I couldn't just leave it as it was. So all in all- I'm back from the dead. This was written in two days total. So proud!<p>

Please review if I should continue with another chapter, or if its too boring, or if you have any suggestions at all(: Any review will be greatly appreciated.

-Colani


	6. Chapter 6

**Victim #1**

...

Thump thump...Thump thump

THUMPTHUMPTHUMP

...[silence]...

* * *

><p><em>"Kakashi!"<em>

Sasuke banged his fist hard against the weather-worn door for what must have been the fourteenth time, the brute force now causing the rusted hinges along the door frame to rattle in a precarious fashion. Any harder, and the silver-haired anbu captain would find himself without a door. Needless to say, he was losing his patience, and fast.

And to make matters worse, the baby, Hana (as Sakura has come to name her), was now beginning to grow restless in his arms. It was only a matter of time, he knew, before she began to-

Too late. At the sudden high-pitched wail, Naruto's blue eyes went wide with alarm, the sharp sound hitting his ears with a force similar to that of a train. Sasuke suddenly slipped out a curse, his eyebrows creasing in what appeared to be suppressed fury.

_"Take her."_ He snapped, voice dangerously low as he hastily extended the baby towards the blonde.

Naruto quickly wrapped his arms under the tiny squirming bundle, bobbing the dark-haired infant up-and-down against his chest in an attempt to quiet her. "There, there," he cooed, his face the perfect mixture of discomfort and afflicting helplessness, "Uncle Sasuke isn't really all that scary." A slight pause, and then in a softer undertone, "On rarer occasions..."

Naruto turned from his peripheral vision just in time to see Sasuke pull out a small plastic bottle filled with milk from the duffle bag slung over his shoulder.

"Here." Sasuke brusquely handed the blonde the small formula-filled container, his ears now beginning to ring at the shrill cries that relentlessly fell on his ears. Naruto eyed the bottle in his hand with a hint of uncertainty before understanding finally dawned on him.

"Wait a second, baka, why do _I_ have to feed her, she's _your _responsibi-"

Another loud bang on Kakashi's beaten door rudely cut him off, and Naruto watched with horror as the little orange door collapsed to the floor of the apartment. Seconds passed between the two shinobi, the babies muffled cries the only sound that broke the silence.

"What the hell, Sasuke!" Naruto finally shouted, suddenly whirling around on the spot for anybody who might have witnessed the event.

"Feed the damn baby Naruto." Sasuke said simply, already making his way into the apartment. The receding sunlight left the scarcely furnished room feeling abandoned; dust particles twirling in the air like snowflakes in a blizzard. Eyeing the stack of half-way opened books to his right, paired with a still steaming cup of coffee, Sasuke felt his irritation spike. Kakashi was here alright. So why the hell didn't he get the damn door?

Quietly, Sasuke proceeded further into the small open room. He was not but a few steps inside when he felt a dim flare of chakra pulse from the narrow hallway to his left. Sasuke paused at the pulsation, his eyebrows creasing in calculation. There was something about Kakashi's chakra signal that felt...off, to say the least. He could feel the familiarity behind the signature, but there was something obscurely amiss at the same time that he couldn't quite identify.

Behind him, he could hear Naruto's voice burst into the room, but his words never seemed to reach his ears. Turning the corner, Sasuke suddenly understood the reason for the weird sensation he felt in his ex-sensei's chakra. There, lying face down in the wooden hallway before him, was the anbu captain himself.

"_Shit_." Dropping the duffel bag from his shoulders, Sasuke rushed to the unconscious figure, pressing two fingers under the anbu's jaw and neck.

The pulse was there, but it was faint. And it was fast.

Gruffely, Sasuke slung Kakashi's arm over his shoulder, hoisting him up with a grunt.

"Kakashi-sensei! Are you alri-?" Naruto took one look at Kakashi before he grabbed the discarded duffel bag and shot towards the hospital in a hard sprint, Sasuke close at his heels.

Naruto pressed the baby close to his chest, increasing his pace. Hana ceased her crying at the unexpected press of gravity along her tiny body, her blue eyes glinting the fast approaching stars in the skies.

"What the hell is wrong with him?" Naruto bellowed over the sound of wind rushing through his ears.

Sasuke rolled his eyes with impatience, the hospital fast approaching in front of him like a lighthouse in the middle of a dark sea. "The hell if I know dobe."

Barreling into the four-story building, Sasuke's icy stare locked on the receptionist ahead. "Get Sakura!"

"H-Hai" The receptionist fumbled graclessly as she pulled out her pager, pressing a button against the side of the wall. "Code Blue!" She called into the intercom, eyes glued to the copy-nin fastened to Sasuke's shoulder. "I repeat, we have a Code Blue, first floor! Medics needed now!"

It felt as if only half a second passed before Sasuke felt the heavy weight suddenly slide from his shoulders, only to be placed carefully along the rushing stretcher now disappearing behind the receptionist desk. Naruto rushed after it, his eyes alarmed and filled with tension. "Kakashi-sensei!" He called, medics stepping infront of him to block his way.

"Hey! You can't go in there-"

"Kakashi-sensei!" He called again ignoring him. "What's wrong with him?! Is he going to be okay-"

"We don't know! We don't know yet, now please take a seat!"

Naruto glared at the medic, his heart pounding in his ears. With a heated sigh, Naruto backed down, feeling defeated. As much as he wanted to help, medical ninjutsu was not his speciality. He was useless here. And the feeling was so unsettling it was enough to tighten his throat and chest to the point it burned.

"Fine." He growled, taking a step back. "Fine! Just go help him!"

Naruto restlessly sat down next to Sasuke who had his head tilted forward toward his chest, arms crossed in a nonchalant manner and eyes closed. Eying the blonde, Sasuke noiselessly pulled the infant away from Naruto's arms.

"Wha-?"

"Stop shaking your arms so much, idiot. She's a baby, not a rag doll."

"How the hell can you be so _calm_ at a time like this?"

Naruto glared at the spiked-hair male beside him. "Hey!" He tried again, clearly annoyed by the lack of eye contact the Uchiha was giving him. "Are you even listening-"

"Naruto." Sasuke said, his voice low and serious.

"-to me?" A pause. "Uh..." Naruto began, suddenly caught off guard, "Yes?"

"What do you feel?"

_'What do I feel?' _Naruto repeated in his head, his face conveying the confusion he evidently felt on the inside. What did his feelings have to do with anything? And more importantly, why the hell would _Sasuke _of all people want to know? "What do you mean?" He demanded, leering away from the Uchiha with skeptical eyes.

Sasuke scowled. "Feel her chakra."

Hesitating at the sudden peculiar request, Naruto off handedly mumbled, "Geez, what's gotten into you lately." Closing his eyes, the blonde ninja began concentrating his energy into the small bundle in Sasuke's arms.

Almost instatntly, Naruto could feel the beginnings of the small babe's chakra channels; the small interconnected pathways frail and thin and...

The sudden widening in Naruto's eyes was all Sasuke needed to see. Both of them felt it now.

* * *

><p>"There is no virus, ma'am." Sakura stated simply, eyes glued to the back of Tsunade's chair. It was getting dark outside, and one by one, the village lights began to flicker on in the distance as the minutes ticked away. She knew it didn't make sense. As adamant as Kakashi was about the village being destroyed by a profound disease, Sakura was beginning to have her doubts.<p>

Tsunade stayed quiet. She was reading Kakashi's mission profile and reports, her eyes never straying from the manila folder or papers loosely held within.

After receiving letters from a nearby village in the fire country, Tsunade had sent Kakashi to go and investigate. Though the war was over, there were still strained political relationships to be dealt with, and she was not about to fall for a trap this late in the game.

But she felt now as if she inadvertently had done just as such. She should have known better than to respond to such a vague letter in the first place, no matter how desperate the writings.

Anxiety felt heavy in the pit of her gut. So when a medic suddenly burst into the room, panicked, Tsunade only felt her anxiety grow as her fear suddenly began to unfurl in front of her eyes. Tsunade locked her hues onto the medic before her.

"Who is it?" Tsunade asked, her voice tight.

"Kakashi." The medic replied, out of breath.

And just like that, her fear was confirmed.

Sakura took one glance at Tsunade and immediately dashed out the door, heart hammering. The trepidation in her mentor's eyes said it all.

Shizune hesitated at the double doors, her body rigid. She didn't know what the hell was going on anymore, and was trying her hardest to push aside the uneasy feeling of being cast out-of-the-loop.

"Lady Tsunade, is everything al-?"

"Damn it Shizune, go and help her!" Tsunade bellowed, standing. Then more gently, "I don't have time to explain right now."

Shizune knew better than to argue at a time like this. Bowing, she wordlessly rushed out the doors to the hospital, mind still racing.

Tsunade looked at the papers in her hand again, suspicion heavy in her gut. She needed to get to the bottom of this before things began getting out of hand. She inhaled and exhaled slowly, plopping back down in her chair and lacing her fingers together atop her desk.

She had no reason to panic just yet. Kakashi, as alarming as it was, was in the hospital. But until she knew _why_ he was there, she would keep her suspicions to herself.

But precautious measures must be taken none the less.

* * *

><p><em>I'm not going to panic. I'm not going to panic. I'm not going to-<em>

_"Sakura!"_

Sakura ignored the nurses bustling in the hallway, ignored the concerned looks that flickered her way, her pace never slacking even as she burst through the double doors of the ICU wing. Shizune was quick on her heels, already calling out orders for the nurses crowded around what could only be the stretcher carrying none other than her retired sensei.

Stupid, _stupid _Kakahi.

"Out of the way!" She ordered, hands already flying to pull up her pink locks in a messy ponytail. Having secured her hair, Sakura used her hands to direct her green chakra into the unconscious body before her.

Next to her, she could hear Shizune ordering for a blood test, just as her hands suddenly scrolled down blow hers; chakra scanning the abdominal tissues and organs.

"He's going into hypotension!" A voice shouted somewhere in the vicinity of the small crammed room.

In the back of her mind, Sakura could dimly hear the racing heart monitor, the shuffling of feet as nurses were called out of the room and directed like some wild orchestra performance, conducted by none other than herself and the dark-haired woman beside her. Her chakra, finding nothing abnormal in Kakashi's nervous system and heart, went deeper until she suddenly hit the anbu's chakra system.

She reared back, eyes wide. Shizune, not missing the reaction, said, "What is it, Sakura?"

The pinkette only shook her head in response. "I don't know," she replied, already pressing her hands firmly in the middle of Kakashi's exposed chest. "His chakra feels... unnatural, for some reason."

Shizune didn't miss a beat as she sent her blazing green chakra deeper into the unconscious figure. Suddenly, the heart monitor began to slow down as a nurse shouted, "BP rising! He's stabilizing!"

All eyes went to the blinking screen above the stretcher, watching as the numbers and figures began to ascend into a normal rhythm.

"What did you do?" Sakura asked, relief flooding into her system at the sudden change in condition. Here hands stayed where they were, green chakra continuing to examine Kakashi's chakra system. The unnatural presence was still there. Glancing at Shizune, her face only seemed to reflect the bewilderment she felt inside.

"Nothing," she finnaly replied stunned. "I thought perhaps you might have done something!"

"No, I didn't do a thing."

"Doesn't matter now, his heart rate is stabilizing and-"

"Shizune-" Sakura interjected, feeling the scorched heat of Kakashi's brow against her palm, "-he's burning up!" The heat radiating from the stretcher was a sharp contrast to the deep and undeniable chill of the hospital room. Kakashi's body was practically acting like a raging furnace caught in a snowstorm.

Shizune turned her attention to the screen resting above the hospital bed, noting the rapidly rising numbers.

_Shit, this isn't good, _Shizune thought, her eyes darting rapidly back and forth between the patient and screen above.

"We need to cool him off, ASAP!" Sakura barked at the nurses next to her. Looking at a petit girl, Sakura shouted, "We need ice-cold water and a blanket, now!"

"Yes Ma'am!" And she was off, out the double doors and into the supply room.

Meanwhile, Sakura turned her attention to advancing her chakra into the anbu's. Immediately, however, she was met with resistance. Cursing, Sakura applied more pressure. She needed to figure out what was wrong, and _fast. _And she would be _damned_ if she let Kakashi's powerful chakra get in the way of her saving his life.

"You are not going to die, you hear me!" She yelled at Kakashi's unconscious figure, heatedly. "We have lost too many leaf ninja as it is! We are not losing you, too!"

Whether it was her voice that motivated her or just her sheer persistence, Sakura abruptly felt the barrier holding her back slacken slightly only to be reinforced with double the strength. Sakura's breath hitched at the unexpected intensity, growling in distress. The noises around her were drowned out into a muddled whir, as if her head was being held under water and the only thing that reached her ears were the dull echoes of what was happening around her.

She pushed harder, her chakra practically burning the palms of her hands due to its heavy concentration. She needed to release it. Why couldn't she break the damn chakra-barrier?! It was as solid as concrete. This was completely abnormal.

Shizune glanced at Sakura, noting the beads of sweat along her brow and slight shake in her arms.

"Here!"

Shizune flickered her attention to the petite nurse as she thrust her a dripping ice-cold blanket into her arms. Together, they swiftly pulled the rest of Kakshi's clothing from him, replacing it with the icy blanket.

"He won't let me in!" Sakura retorted venomously, her eyes bright with anger. Somehow, even in his unconscious state, Kakashi was managing to pull what little strength he had left on the inside and push her healing chakra away from the system she needed more than anything to evaluate: his chakra system.

"He wont let me in." She repeated, slightly appalled.

"Let him be, Sakura." Shizune commented, her voice soft and tired. "I think he's out of the woods for now."

Together, they watched as Kakashi's dangerous fever slowly began to fall into a mild 101.8 degree Fahrenheit. Still a fever, but heck of a lot better than 110.6 degree Fahrenheit.

"...off of me! Let me through!"

Naruto burst through the doors, a shrilling baby clasped to his side. Alarmed, Sakura rushed over and scooped the infant into her arms.

"Naruto!" She seethed, "Shut the hell up!"

"Sakura, she's burning up!"

"What do you mean-" She stopped mid sentence, feeling the heat of the infants flesh under her skin. "Oh shit." She breathed, the dread filling her gut in a thick icy pool. When she looked up again, Sasuke was standing next to Naruto, his eyes dark and unreadable and completely fixated on her.

His stare left her feeling numb for some strange reason. They caught eyes for just a split second before her attention snapped to the wailing child in her arms. Goodness she was warm.

"I need ice! Stat!" Then to another male nurse, Sakura said, "Take Kakashi into another room and get that blood analysed for any abnormalities immediately, understood? If he begins to crash, page me immediately."

"Yes Ma'am." The male replied, nodding.

"One more thing!" Sakura snatched the back of the nurse's scrub, yanking him back. "Give him a physical and have another nurse set him up with an IV bag for fluids."

"Understood!"

Naruto stared at the stretcher as it moved, mixed emotions crashing into his chest and heart with increasing turmoil and intensity. "Is he going to be okay?!"

Sakura continued to push her chakra into the tiny infant, running her chakra through her frail body for anything that might be wrong. At this point she really didn't know. All she could think about was getting everyone stable enough so she could figure out what the _hell_ was wrong with everyone.

That is, until she felt that same unnatural presence in the babe's chakra as she did in Kakashi's.


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter 7**

**A Piece of the Puzzle**

**...**

**...**

**...**

* * *

><p>Sakura did not make plans to go home that night; not that she, or anyone else for that matter, could; the third floor ICU wing was locked down. Instead, she roamed the ICU wing with her hair loose and clip board in hand, shuffling restlessly between the newborn's and her sensei's room.<p>

Her senses were on high alert: if anything were to happen, she was ready to pounce. There was no point in her trying to sleep; her mind would not let her, let alone her whirring anxiety. It was obvious after the first couple of hours that there would be no point in her trying to quell the alarming fears that continued to invade her thoughts and mind.

As relentless as they were, they fueled her into action. She would wait for the two blood samples to be analyzed and screened; if the virus was there, as Kakashi feared it would be, she would take it from there. One step at a...

_Time, _she finished quietly to herself, the word leaving a bitter taste in her mouth. Time was against her. The thought alone sent another burst of icy adrenaline to course through her veins.

How much longer did they have to live? When would they be cured? Or was this something else entirely?

Still deep within her thoughts, her mind failed to register the figure who had suddenly stepped in front of her. Sakura gasped at the unexpected- and slightly painful- impact to her face, clumsily stepping back and losing her balance in the process. Firm hands grasped her shoulders as she began to sway back, steadying her small frame.

"Oh," she hummed, dizzy. "I'm so sorry, I didn't even see you-"

"Sakura," Sasuke scowled, sighing. "What are you doing up so late?"

Heat swelled to the sides of Sakura's cheeks at the sound of Sasuke's voice.

Of all the people to run into... He already considered her inadequate as a ninja, she was sure, she didn't need him to add _'inattentive'_ to the list as well. In an attempt to fight the embarrassing flush to her face, Sakura settled for sounding angry instead.

"What do you mean? I'm making sure my patients don't die on me."

Sasuke stared at the woman in front of him, the scowl only deepening. If he saw the blush on her cheeks, he didn't show it, and Sakura felt a part of her metaphorically sigh in relief. She had enough to worry about as it is, and the last thing she needed was for her mind to focus on things she'd rather not dwell on.

"So then what are the other medics here for?" He asked, unimpressed.

Like Sasuke, she mentally noted, and his smart-ass responses. Nothing ever got past him, then or now. Dimly she wondered why she even thought she could best him with deception when he practically gave the word its very meaning.

"For the very same reason," Sakura said, crossing her arms over her chest indignantly. "And to page me if anything goes wrong."

"You should be resting."

"No, I need to be here, where I belong and where I can be of some use." Sakura felt a flicker of anger flare within her. Did he really not understand what was at stake here?

"You can barely stand on your feet," he commented dryly, already turning to walk away from her towards a lone cushion chair in the small waiting room.

"Because I ran into you!" Sakura countered, her anger sending a wave of warmth to flow into her chest. She bit her lip to stop herself from saying more. As stressed and embarrassed as she was, this was not the time nor the place for her to lose her temper. She was better than that, she told herself sternly.

A loud snore across the hall caught her attention. Peering past Sasuke, Sakura caught a glimpse of ruffled blonde hair mixed with orange and black. There, siting on the bench outside of Kakashi's room, was a sleeping Naruto.

Picking her clipboard up from the ground, Sakura turned on her heels with a soft sigh escaping her lips, reluctantly making her way to an on-call room across the hall and away from distractions on the other side of the wing. Specifically Sasuke.

She needed quiet; she needed to isolate herself so she could think and concentrate on her current situation. Unable to go back to her office, Sakura closed the door to the darkened room and sank to the floor with her back resting on the wooden surface. She sat there with her eyes closed, breathing in the sharp anesthetic scent of the sterilized room, the smell bringing back reminiscing memories to the surface of her conciseness.

Dimly, she could hear the tick of the clock on the wall above her, but she didn't really pay any attention to it. Her mind was somewhere else, which she was happy about. Daydreaming wasn't a luxury she really had.

Glancing up at the window, Sakura waited for her eyes to adjust to the darkness of the room before her eyes traveled to the perfectly made bed in the corner. She eyed the bed apprehensively, cursed softly, and made her way towards it. After making herself comfortable, Sakura propped the pillow behind her back and rested the back of her head against the wall.

She then began to absentmindedly push chakra into the palm of her hand, allowing the soft green haze of her chakra to fill the room before she pulled it back again. Meanwhile, her mind drifted back and forth between Kakashi and the infant. What did those two have in common? They both arrived in Konaha from the same place, for one... Kakashi didn't look sick when she saw him a few days ago, nor did the infant... Did Kakashi bring back a virus that was meant for another village? Or was this all part of an elaborate trick?

What they needed more than anything was a way for medics to identify the virus. If they isolate it early, they may be able to prevent the disease from spreading. Grabbing the chart next to her, Sakura used her chakra as a light to read the messy scribbles on the lines below when a knock on the door interrupted her.

"Come in," said Sakura.

A dark figure stepped in through the cracked door. Sakura squinted at the light from the hallway, blinking away the speckled spots in her vision.

"We have the results from the two physicals," said a light female voice.

"Good," Sakura said, still trying to focus her eyes on the slender silhouette. "Did you find anything relating to the disease?"

"We found a number of things that the two share in common, ma'am."

Sakura shook her head at the papers the woman held for her take. "Thank you," said Sakura, "But I'd like to see for myself."

"Of course," the woman nodded, stepping aside. Sakura quietly followed behind the nurse towards the other side of the wing.

In the room, Sakura closed her eyes, forming a seal with her hands. Her green chakra slowly began to encase her small body so that she looked to be trapped inside a glowing green bubble. The nurse stare wide-eyed at the display, unsure of what to make of it. A few seconds passed before the bubble suddenly popped, leaving behind a glittering skeleton of its former shape.

A small sigh escaped Sakura's lips as she released the jutsu, feeling satisfied at the cleansing feeling that remained in her system. Although the two rooms were sealed off by sterile plastic casings, Sakura needed to be sure that her system was clean before she approached Kakashi's bedside. Not only that, but she needed it stronger and more alert than ever. The jutsu was an old one that Tsunade had taught her when she first began training under the Sanin- and what better place to practice such a cleansing jutsu then in the presence of an unidentified illness?

"Here," Sakura said, making her way towards the nurse. Placing her hands on either side of the nurse's head, Sakura pushed her chakra into the woman.

"What are you doing?" asked the nurse, watching as a bubble quickly began to form around her body, just as it had Sakura's. She could feel the rippling pull of Sakura's chakra on her body, starting from her head and moving down to her feet.

"I'm cleansing your body of toxins and other foreign organisms..." she paused, releasing the jutsu and smiling. "Just a precautionary measure."

"Of course. Thank you. Now then..." The nurse pulled back another plastic casing, revealing the body protected underneath. Sakura felt her chest tighten at the grim sight of her sensei, now reduced to such a weakened state. It was unnatural for her, to see him in this fashion, and so very ill.

He was propped up in sheets with his mask secured against his lower face, minus his nose; a nasal cannula was fastened behind his ears. IV bags hung delicately next to him alongside a bundle of wires that connected to the screens in the corner. There, Sakura could read Kakashi's heart rate and blood pressure, along with the thermostat that betrayed the mild fever raging inside her sensei's body.

Pinching the inside of her palm, Sakura took a step towards the still unconscious figure, brushing some stray hairs away from Kakashi's pale and sticky skin.

The nurse went around on the other side of Sakura, her eyes glued onto her own clipboard. The results from his physical she presumed.

"First thing we noted was his dilated eyes...," She began, taking a small light from her pocket and flashing it into dark pools of Kakashi's eyes. Sakura could barely separate the iris from the pupil, even with the blinding light in his eyes.

"Both of them have severely blown eyes. We think the fever they both experienced somehow damaged the iris sphincter muscle, meaning the irises are unable to contract with exposure to bright light. Another thing we found was this rash," she continued, gripping the sides of Kakashi's wrists and turning them over, "Kakashi's symptoms appear to have progressed father than the infants as of now. We have researchers and the forensic team attempting to put the dots together."

Sakura stared wide eyed at the small red speckled dots clumped into pools under Kakashi's pale flesh. Even in all of the articles and books she has read over the years, never had she ever come across a rash that looked quite like this one. Pressing her fingers unto the affected areas of Kakashi's arms, Sakura felt her eyes widen when the red speckled dots under his skin failed to whiten with added pressure.

The nurses voice was softer when she spoke next. "One more thing, Ma'am. We have the blood test results completed..." The nurse trailed off, suddenly feeling light headed. She swallowed, wiping the gathering sweat from her brow. Was it her, or was it suddenly getting hot in here? Sakura's gaze fell intently on the woman, noting the sudden change in the nurse's skin color. It was quite paler than she remembered it being a few minutes ago.

"And?" Sakura prodded, urgently. Surely the results couldn't be that bad, could they?

The nurse swayed, placing her hand along the side of the wall for support. It was burning up in here. She needed out. She needed some fresh air. Sakura suddenly reached out with concern.

"Hey, are you feeling okay?" No sooner had Sakura made contact with the nurse had she recoiled in horror. "Oh no..." she whispered, cursing. The woman barely noticed Sakura's sharp withdrawl as she suddenly hit the floor, knees first.

"There's a virus running rampant...in their system..." The nurse whispered. Sakura watched, petrified to move, as the nurse fell face first onto the tiled floor. That same unnatural chakra presence was all around her, practically engulfing her; almost like the virus was claiming her power as its own.

There was no time to react. Sakura pulled out a mask from the cabinet next to her and placed it firmly over her nose and mouth. She stumbled backwards, her heart hammering in her chest. Swallowing her shock, Sakura felt along the sides of the wall, pressing the small button along under her fingers.

"Code red!" Sakura yelled into the intercom, not waiting for a reply. Sakura stared at the semi-conscious figure before gently hefting the nurse up off the floor. Immediately, a cart rushed into the room, to which Sakura placed the nurse before allowing the other medics to hook her up to the heart and BP monitors.

"I'm okay..." the nurse whispered faintly, even as her chakra signature spiked and then plummeted sharply. Her chakra system was fighting, she realized. Only this time, it was with an invisible organism, not a ninja. Sakura didn't waist another second. Thrusting her hand into the cabinent, Sakura produced a handful of masks, passing them to the medics next to her.

"Put these on," she ordered, "We don't know how the pathogen spreads."

"I'm okay..." the nurse repated, voice soft. "The heat..."

"Yes," Sakura soothed, coming to her bedside, "You have a pretty high fever. But we can bring it down."

The nurse reached with her other hand to wipe her brow, only to have her hand snatched by Sakura. It was the same rash that she had begun to examine on Kakash. Only the one on the nurse's arm was lighter; small, almost invisible, red dots were beginning to gather under her skin.

"How do you feel?" Sakura asked, pushing levers on the side of the bed to prop the woman up into a reclining position. Gently, Sakura rolled the nurse's sleeve up, holding back a gasp when she saw the rash spreading along the nurses shoulder blades, neck, and upper back.

"I don't...understand...I was fine just a minute ago."

The medics around her stood cautiously behind Sakura, waiting for her orders. Taking a syringe from her pocket, Sakura pressed the needle into the woman's flesh, drawing blood into the clear vile.

"Take this to the lab next door and start an analysis on it, quickly," said Sakura, passing the vile to a medic behind her. He took it, careful to have a tight grip on the tube before walking out of the sealed room. Sakura glanced at the nurse one more time.

"What's you name?" she asked.

The nurse briefly met her eyes. "Mio," she whispered.

"Mio," Sakura repeated, "I need you to tell me everything you did yesterday and today."

Mio pinched her lips together, thinking. "Yesterday started out normal. I woke up, ate breakfast, took a shower and brushed my teeth..."

"Did you feel off at all? Notice anything abnormal?"

Mio paused. "No, not at all... Everything was fine until just a few minutes ago."

"What about today?"

"Same thing," Mio commented, her face grimacing in discomfort, "I started my shift around 12 hours ago."

"Did you work yesterday at all?" Sakura asked, flickering her eyes to a medic behind her, "Set her up with an IV bag for fluids- she's dehydrated."

"Yes, same time as today. I worked yesterday in the pediatric ward, today with you Ma'am."

"Sakura!" A voice called behind her, grabbing her attention. "We have two more patients who need your assistance. Both of them have high fevers and a rash. Blood results show sign of a viral infection."

Sakura felt her heart plummet sharply into the pit of her stomach, leaving her with a bruised feeling in her chest. "Who are they?" she asked, throwing an apologetic glance towards Mio before rushing out of the sealed room and into another.

"A couple of kids," the medic replied, handing her a chart.

Sakura skimmed it briefly, stopping when a flash of blonde as white as silver entered her field of vision.

Her head reeled as flashbacks flickered across her eyes, stitching together seamlessly the past with the present. She remembered the loud burst of a bomb going off, a high pitch scream, the heat of flames as they attempted to consume her whole. And then she remembered the small girl she had gathered in her arms; she remembered how her hair was practically glowing with the reflection of the flames around her.

It was as if her heart had skipped a beat at the sudden realization that burst within her. There, in the bed before her, was the same girl she rescued only a few weeks ago; only this time, she was lying flat on her back with her temperature and chakra set a blaze. Next to her was a boy not much younger than the little girl. Sakura cocked her head at the sight of him; he looked familiar for some reason.

"What should we do?" the medic asked next to her.

It took Sakura a second to find her voice. "All we can do is treat the symptoms," she finally replied, blinking out of the trance she was momentarily caught in. Walking over between the two beds, Sakura placed her hand on the girl first, then the boy. It was that same damned chakra presence. They all had it: Kakashi, Hana, Mio, and now these two.

Turning to the sleeping boy behind her, Sakura pulled out her small flashlight from her lab coat and gently lifted one eyelid. As she suspected, the pupil was dilated. Sakura could easily see all the way into the back of the eye.

"For now, just try and make them as comfortable as possible," said Sakura, sighing. She wanted so badly to _do_ something, but this wasn't something her chakra could fix. Her fists clutched at her side, then slowly she raised them to rest on the boy's stomach.

_I just want to try- one more time. _

Sakura took in a breath and then slowly released her chakra into the small boy's system. Her chakra traveled through the boys circulatory system; there, she could almost feel the spiked heat of his blood, rushing through his body and veins. She traveled through his veins for a moment, noting the thinning walls of the cellular membranes that held the blood captive. It felt, she realized with a start, that the walls could burst at any moment.

Sakura bit her delicate lips, feeling somewhat chilled despite the warmth of the ICU room. _I might be able to strengthen some of his veins... if I just increase cellular division, I can make the cell membrane thicker... perhaps stronger. _

Carefully, Sakura spread her chakra into the bloodstream, enticing the cells composing the veins to begin multiplying and dividing where she felt the walls already beginning to falter. The process was slow at first, but soon she found the cells reconnecting small rips and tears at a satisfactory pace.

While she was working, it suddenly occurred to here that the rash was the result of blood leaking from the small capillaries and veins. That was why the skin failed to whiten when pressure was added; the small dots were blood droplets gathered under the skin.

Fatigue was slowly beginning to sink into her system just as Sakura pressed her chakra into the boys nervous system, feeling for the heart of the unnatural presence.

There was a burst of resistance at the slightest touch of her chakra; similar though not quite as strong as Kakashi's barrier. She cursed softly, pulling her chakra back a bit.

_Just as I suspected..._

Closing her eyes, Sakura dropped her hands from the boys flesh. The fever was still there, but at least he didn't look as pale as before... atleast, she smiled to herself, she had figured out one small piece of the puzzle... she knew what was cause for the rash...

But everything else was a complete mystery.

* * *

><p>Sorry for the little SasuSaku :( It's been tricky trying to fit in some fluff in this chapter, but don't give up on me yet. They will get there I promise(: In the meantime, hope you enjoyed the chapter!

-colani


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